This application provides an outbound method and a device, and relates to the field of goods transporting device technologies. The method may include: determining at least one outbound sequence, where the outbound sequence includes at least one outbound group, and the outbound group includes at least one outbound container; assigning a transporting task of the outbound container to a robot according to the at least one outbound sequence; and carrying out an outbound operation of the at least one outbound container according to a task execution state of the transporting task and the at least one outbound sequence.

A method for fulfillment of an order includes receiving, at a master server, a specification of the order including a set of items. The master server selects a runner apparatus and transmits a first command to that apparatus to retrieve a first box for presentation to a picker apparatus, where the first box has an item for fulfillment of the order. The runner apparatus retrieves the first box and presents it to the picker apparatus by moving near the picker apparatus, where the picker apparatus includes a base portion that is immovable, and holding the box for access by the picker apparatus. The master server instructs the picker apparatus to sort that item from the first box to a destination box. The picker apparatus picks the item out of the box via a robot arm of the picker apparatus, and moves it to the destination box.

A traveling vehicle operable to travel along a predetermined travel path, and includes an indicator with switchable lighting states, an imager to capture an image of a preceding traveling vehicle located in front of a subject traveling vehicle to include the indicator provided to the preceding traveling vehicle in the captured image, and a controller to control traveling of the subject traveling vehicle based on a determination result of the lighting states of the indicator included in the captured image. The indicator includes a first indicator to notify a state of the subject traveling vehicle, and a second indicator to include both images of the indicator in a lit state and the indicator in an unlit state in the captured image.

In order to determine a route for avoiding collision of a movable apparatus, a different movable apparatus as a target of collision is determined, different movable apparatus information that includes at least one of shape information, a current state, a performance, information regarding a task that is being performed of the different movable apparatus, and information regarding a route along which the different movable apparatus is moving is acquired, own movable apparatus information that is information regarding an own movable apparatus corresponding at least to the different movable apparatus information is acquired, a change rate of the route is acquired on the basis of the different movable apparatus information and the own movable apparatus information, and a moving route to be changed is determined on the basis of the change rate of the route.

An automated guided vehicle has a coupler configured to be coupled to a body of a carriage in such a manner that the coupler is restricted from rotating about an up-down axis relative to the body, and the automated guided vehicle drives a drive wheel with a drive source to move the carriage, while the coupler is coupled to the body at a position outward of a supporter in a width direction, the supporter being configured to support an object to be transported.

Methods and systems for collision avoidance, preferably in industrial settings. The systems and methods use a three-dimensional feature map fitted onto a two-dimensional floor plan; determining the absolute position of a first industrial vehicle on the floor plan; determining the absolute position of a second industrial vehicle on the floor plan; detecting a person on images a camera mounted on the second industrial vehicle; determining the relative position of said person on the floor plan relative to said second industrial vehicle; determining the absolute position of said person on the floor plan; determining an alarm contour for the first industrial vehicle on said floor plan; providing the absolute position of said person on the floor plan to the first industrial vehicle, wherein an alarm action is triggered for the first industrial vehicle if the absolute position of said person is detected inside the alarm contour of the first industrial vehicle

A method of self-localization in a navigation environment is provided in which a respective optical marker is attached to a plurality of positions, wherein a marker is detected and read by an optical code reader and the position of the marker is determined from the code content. In this respect, the markers are attached in groups of at least three respective markers; a value range of the code content of the markers is smaller than the number of positions having an optical marker; and the code content of the at least three markers of a group together uniquely describe the position of the group.

A method computer system and computer program product are provided for performing remote operations by enhanced telepresence. A set of physical robots in a three-dimensional (3D) space in which is contained a physical object. The set of physical robots includes cameras separated by one or more distances between the cameras. Using at least two of the cameras, images are captured, and a parallax measurement is generated. A 3D virtual reality environment is generated that includes a space representation of the 3D space and an object virtual representation of the physical object. The robot virtual representation includes a point-of-view located about on the set of physical robots. The 3D virtual reality environment is projected using a virtual reality projector.

In a designing method for setting a specification of an individual-piece magnetic marker to be laid on a road surface, a specification of the magnetic marker is appropriately set based on a correlation coefficient between a first distribution of strengths of magnetism in a forwarding direction acting on a position at a minimum attachment height in a range of attachment heights of the magnetic sensor assumed in respective vehicles and a second distribution representing a distribution of strengths of magnetism in the forwarding direction acting on the position at the minimum attachment height when magnetism is assumed to be generated from a one-point magnetism generation source.

Systems, apparatus, and methods to facilitate docking of robotic vehicles with platforms are disclosed. An example apparatus includes memory; machine readable instructions; and processor circuitry to execute the machine readable instructions to identify a property associated with a platform; determine a confidence associated with docking the platform and an autonomous vehicle based on the property associated with the platform; identify a positioning maneuver to be performed by the autonomous vehicle relative to the platform based on the confidence and the property of the platform; and output an instruction to cause the autonomous vehicle to perform the positioning maneuver.