An equipment inspection system receives data captured by a sensor of an autonomous vehicle (AV). The captured data describes a current state of equipment for servicing the AV. The equipment inspection system compares the captured data to a model describing an expected state of the equipment. The equipment inspection system determines, based on the comparison, that the equipment differs from the expected state. The equipment inspection system may transmit data describing the current state of the equipment to an equipment manager. The equipment manager may schedule maintenance for the equipment based on the current state of the equipment.

The present invention provides specific systems, methods and algorithms based on artificial intelligence expert system technology for determination of preferred routes of travel for electric vehicles (EVs). The systems, methods and algorithms provide such route guidance for battery-operated EVs in-route to a desired destination, but lacking sufficient battery energy to reach the destination from the current location of the EV. The systems and methods of the present invention disclose use of one or more specifically programmed computer machines with artificial intelligence expert system battery energy management and navigation route control. Such specifically programmed computer machines may be located in the EV and/or cloud-based or remote computer/data processing systems for the determination of preferred routes of travel, including intermediate stops at designated battery charging or replenishing stations. Expert system algorithms operating on combinations of expert defined parameter subsets for route selection are disclosed. Specific fuzzy logic methods are also disclosed based on defined potential route parameters with fuzzy logic determination of crisp numerical values for multiple potential routes and comparison of those crisp numerical values for selection of a particular route. Application of the present invention systems and methods to autonomous or driver-less EVs is also disclosed.

Systems and methods for controlling autonomous vehicles are provided. Assisted autonomy tasks facilitated by operators for a plurality of autonomous vehicles can be tracked in order to generate operator attributes for each of a plurality of operators. The attributes for an operator can be based on tracking one or more respective assisted autonomy tasks facilitated by the operator. The operator attributes can be used to facilitate enhanced remote operations for autonomous vehicles. For example, request parameters can be obtained in response to a request for remote assistance associated with an autonomous vehicle. An operator can be selected to assist with autonomy tasks for the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the operator attributes for the operator and the request parameters associated with the request. Remote assistance for the first autonomous vehicle can be initiated, facilitated by the first operator in response to the request for remote assistance.

A moving robot includes: a boundary signal detector configured to detect a proximity boundary signal generated in a proximity boundary area in which a portion of a first travel area and a portion of a second travel area are proximal to each other; and a controller configured to define a proximity boundary line based on the proximity boundary signal, and control the travelling unit such that the body performs a homing travel which indicates travelling along the proximity boundary line. The moving robot may be included in a system that includes boundary wires to define the first and second travel areas. The system may further include a docking unit to dock with and charge the moving robot.

A moving robot includes: a boundary signal detector configured to detect a proximity boundary signal generated in a proximity boundary area in which a portion of a first travel area and a portion of a second travel area are proximal to each other; and a controller configured to define a proximity boundary line based on the proximity boundary signal, and control the travelling unit such that the body performs a homing travel which indicates travelling along the proximity boundary line. The moving robot may be included in a system that includes boundary wires to define the first and second travel areas. The system may further include a docking unit to dock with and charge the moving robot.

Provided is an information processing apparatus including: a motion control unit (107) that controls a motion of an autonomous moving body (10), in which, when transmitting/receiving internal data related to the autonomous moving body, the motion control unit causes the autonomous moving body to express execution of the transmission/reception of the internal data by an action.

A driving assistance device is the driving assistance device used in a vehicle capable of switching between autonomous driving and driving that requires operation by the driver, and includes a different vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires autonomous driving information on different vehicles on a traveling road of the vehicle, an autonomous driving ratio acquisition unit that acquires a ratio of autonomous driving in the different vehicles from the autonomous driving information on the different vehicles acquired by the different vehicle information acquisition unit, and a notification control unit that provides information for supporting determination on switching between autonomous driving and driving that requires operation by a driver if the ratio of autonomous driving in the different vehicles is equal to or larger than a predetermined ratio.

An automated mobile paint robot, according to particular embodiments, comprises: (1) a wheeled base; (2) at least one paint sprayer; (3) at least one pump; (4) a vision system; (5) a GPS navigation system; and (5) a computer controller configured to: (A) generate a room painting plan using one or more inputs from the GPS navigation system, vision system, etc.; (B) control movement of the automated mobile paint robot across a support surface: (C) use the vision system to position the wheeled base in a suitable position from which to paint a desired area using the at least one paint sprayer; and (D) use the at least one pump to activate the at least one paint sprayer to paint a swath (e.g., swatch) of paint from the suitable position.

Localization systems and methods for transmitting timestampable localization signals from anchors according to one or more transmission schedules. The transmission schedules may be generated and updated to achieve desired positioning performance. For example, one or more anchors may transmit localization signals at a different rate than other anchors, the anchor transmission order can be changed, and the signals can partially overlap. In addition, different transmission parameters may be used to transmit two localization signals at the same time without interference. A self-localizing apparatus is able to receive the localization signals and determine its position. The self-localizing apparatus may have a configurable receiver that can select to receive one of multiple available localization signals. The self-localizing apparatuses may have a pair of receivers able to receive two localization signals at the same time. A bridge anchor may be provided to enable a self-localizing apparatus to seamlessly transition between two localization systems.

A method and a device for operating an automated vehicle. The method includes a step of detecting surroundings data values, a step of determining positions and/or predicted movements of objects in the surroundings of the automated vehicle, a step of carrying out a first comparison of the surroundings data values and/or of the positions and/or of the predicted movements using an external server, a step of determining a driving strategy for the automated vehicle as a function of the positions and/or predicted movements of the objects and as a function of the first comparison, a step of carrying out a second comparison of the driving strategy using the external server, and a step of operating the automated vehicle as a function of the driving strategy and as a function of the second comparison.