A robot cleaner includes a body to travel on a floor; an obstacle sensing unit to sense an obstacle approaching the body; an auxiliary cleaning unit mounted to a bottom of the body, to be extendable and retractable; and a control unit to control extension or retraction of the auxiliary cleaning unit when the obstacle is sensed. The control unit prevents the auxiliary cleaning unit from extending if a signal is received from a charger.

A laser robot path planning method includes: obtaining a target start point and a target end point of a laser robot; determining, based on a first map, whether the target start point and the target end point of the laser robot are located within a same area; in a case that the target start point and the target end point are located within the same area, planning a movement path based on the first map using the target start point and the target end point; and in a case that the target start point and the target end point are located within different areas, expanding a passable area of the first map based on several passable line segments in a second map, and planning the movement path based on the expanded first map, the target start point, and the target end point.

Some embodiments relate to a manned vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle (AV) and to methods relating to such VTOL AVs. An example vehicle comprises: a body comprising a cockpit; a propulsion system carried by the body to propel the body during flight; pilot-operable controls accessible from the cockpit; a sensing system configured to generate sensor data associated with a region around the manned VTOL AV; a control system configured to enable control of the manned VTOL AV to be shared between a pilot and an autonomous piloting system, wherein the control system may utilise the sensor data; and a three-dimensional model of the region; and program instructions to: determine a state estimate and a state estimate confidence metric; generate a three-dimensional point cloud of the region; generate a plurality of virtual particles within the three-dimensional model; compute a plurality of scores, each score being associated with one of the plurality of virtual particles; and update the state estimate based at least in part on the computed scores, thereby determining an updated state estimate.

The application provides a structured light module and an autonomous mobile device. The structured light module includes a first camera and line laser emitters for collecting a first environmental image containing laser stripes generated when the line laser encounters an object. The structured light module can also capture a visible light image through a second environmental image that does not contain laser stripes. Both the first and second environmental images can help to detect more accurate and richer environmental information, expanding the application range of laser sensors.

A self-contained, high precision navigation method and system for a mobile vehicle includes an active coherent imaging sensor array with multiple receivers that observes the surrounding environment and a digital processing component that processes the received signals to form interferometric images and determine the precise three-dimensional location and three-dimensional orientation of the vehicle within that environment. A mesh navigation system for a network of mobile vehicles is provided where each mobile vehicle hosts an active coherent imaging sensor that observes a common area in the environment that surrounds the network of mobile vehicles. The navigation system on each mobile vehicle receives signals from the other mobile vehicles reflected from the common area in the environment. These signals are processed onboard each mobile vehicle to form interferometric images and determine the precise three-dimensional location of each mobile vehicle relative to the others operating and moving within the network.

A self-contained, high precision navigation method and system for a mobile vehicle includes an active coherent imaging sensor array with multiple receivers that observes the surrounding environment and a digital processing component that processes the received signals to form interferometric images and determine the precise three-dimensional location and three-dimensional orientation of the vehicle within that environment. A mesh navigation system for a network of mobile vehicles is provided where each mobile vehicle hosts an active coherent imaging sensor that observes a common area in the environment that surrounds the network of mobile vehicles. The navigation system on each mobile vehicle receives signals from the other mobile vehicles reflected from the common area in the environment. These signals are processed onboard each mobile vehicle to form interferometric images and determine the precise three-dimensional location of each mobile vehicle relative to the others operating and moving within the network.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for determining item availability are provided. A computer implemented method for determining item availability in a shopping space comprising: receiving a request for an item for purchase, instructing a motorized transport unit to travel to a display space in the shopping space corresponding to the item for the purchase, determining whether the item is available in the display space based on information captured by one or more sensors of the motorized transport unit, and in an event that the item for purchase is not available in the display space: determining an item unavailable response to present to the customer.

A linear laser module and a self-moving device are provided. The linear laser module is applied for the self-moving device, and includes: a camera apparatus for acquiring an ambient image; at least one linear laser emitter, disposed on both sides of the camera apparatus, and configured to emit a laser having a linear projection, the camera apparatus working in coordination with the at least one linear laser emitter; and a return-to-pile positioning apparatus for receiving a first infrared signal emitted by a charging pile. Thereby, a sensing component communicatively connected to the charging pile, and a sensing component for measuring a road condition in front of a device body, are integrated into the linear laser module, thereby allowing a modular design of a sensing system, which is convenient for assembly and repair.

A linear laser module and a self-moving device are provided. The linear laser module is applied for the self-moving device, and includes: a camera apparatus for acquiring an ambient image; at least one linear laser emitter, disposed on both sides of the camera apparatus, and configured to emit a laser having a linear projection, the camera apparatus working in coordination with the at least one linear laser emitter; and a return-to-pile positioning apparatus for receiving a first infrared signal emitted by a charging pile. Thereby, a sensing component communicatively connected to the charging pile, and a sensing component for measuring a road condition in front of a device body, are integrated into the linear laser module, thereby allowing a modular design of a sensing system, which is convenient for assembly and repair.

A sports field having automatic line marking capabilities. The sports field includes a robotic total station in communication with a mobile marking robot configured for marking and re-marking of lines on a sports field.