The present disclosure relates to a tracking system for tracking the position and orientation of an object in an environment, the tracking system including: (a) a tracking base positioned in the environment; (b) a tracking target mountable to the object, wherein in use the tracking base is linked to the tracking target by: (i) a bidirectional light beam transmitted therebetween; and, (ii) a unidirectional light beam transmitted therebetween, said unidirectional light beam parallel to the bidirectional light beam; and, (c) at least one controller configured to determine a roll angle of the tracking target relative to the tracking base, the roll angle determined at least in part by signals received from a sensor housed in at least one of the tracking base and the tracking target that detects the unidirectional light beam.

The purpose of the present invention is to effectively use a small unmanned aircraft in all fields in which research and development are advancing. An information processing system that includes a drone having a drive unit for moving in a space, wherein a distance detection unit of the drone individually detects the distance to one or more prescribed positions of a wall surface, during movement in the space by the drone 1 near the wall surface. A shortest distance calculation unit calculates the shortest distance from the drone to the wall surface on the basis of these distances. A flight control unit executes control of the driving of the drive unit so that the shortest distance is equal to or less than a prescribed value.

A vision laser receiver having a sensing surface with a fixed geometry such that laser light received by the sensing surface will illuminate a particular section of the sensing surface and the precise elevation and/or tilt of the laser receiver will be determined from the illumination of the sensing surface.

A vision laser receiver having a sensing surface with a fixed geometry such that laser light received by the sensing surface will illuminate a particular section of the sensing surface and the precise elevation and/or tilt of the laser receiver will be determined from the illumination of the sensing surface.

A position and posture estimation apparatus includes: a laser sensor configured to be disposed on at least one of left and right sides of a forklift, to emit laser light to a side surface of a pallet lifted by a fork, and to receive reflected light of the laser light and acquire a laser measurement point group; and an estimation calculation unit configured to estimate a. position and a posture of the pallet with respect to the fork based on the laser measurement point group acquired by the laser sensor.

A method for determining a relative position of a first part of a mobile platform with respect to a second part of the mobile platform. The method includes the following steps: providing at least one first position point of an object in an environment of the mobile platform relative to the first part of the mobile platform; providing at least one second position point of the object in the environment of the mobile platform relative to the second part of the mobile platform; determining the relative position of the first part of the mobile platform with respect to the second part of the mobile platform by comparing the relative position of the at least one first position point with the relative position of the at least one second position point.

A method for determining a relative position of a first part of a mobile platform with respect to a second part of the mobile platform. The method includes the following steps: providing at least one first position point of an object in an environment of the mobile platform relative to the first part of the mobile platform; providing at least one second position point of the object in the environment of the mobile platform relative to the second part of the mobile platform; determining the relative position of the first part of the mobile platform with respect to the second part of the mobile platform by comparing the relative position of the at least one first position point with the relative position of the at least one second position point.

A self-driving semi-truck can include tractor comprising a drive system, a first set of sensors mounted to the tractor, a fifth wheel, and cargo trailer comprising a kingpin coupled to the fifth wheel. The cargo trailer can include a Mansfield bar having a second set of sensors mounted thereto, where the second set of sensors have a rearward field of view from the trailer. The semi-truck can include an autonomous control system that receives sensor data from the first set of sensors and the second set of sensors, and analyzes the live sensor view to autonomously operate the drive system along a current route.

A self-driving semi-truck can include tractor comprising a drive system, a first set of sensors mounted to the tractor, a fifth wheel, and cargo trailer comprising a kingpin coupled to the fifth wheel. The cargo trailer can include a Mansfield bar having a second set of sensors mounted thereto, where the second set of sensors have a rearward field of view from the trailer. The semi-truck can include an autonomous control system that receives sensor data from the first set of sensors and the second set of sensors, and analyzes the live sensor view to autonomously operate the drive system along a current route.

A system for tracking wearable user devices is provided herein. The system may include a tracking environment, comprising: one or more scene light sources, wherein the location of the scene light sources is known within said tracking environment; one or more scene detectors operable to detect light within the tracking environment, wherein the location and orientation of said one or more scene detectors is known within said tracking environment; one or more scene reflectors operable to reflect light originating from said one or more scene light sources, wherein the location of said one or more scene reflectors is known within said tracking environment; and, one or more wearable user devices comprising a curved reflective surface with known geometry; and, a computer processor operable to analyse light readings detected by said one or more scene detectors, and to calculate a position of the one or more wearable user devices.