Systems and methods for controlling or guiding one or more automated vehicles and/or people (VOP) in an environment using virtual approved pathways (VAPs). Methods include determining a set of parameters associated with automated vehicles and/or people operating within an environment, including periodically obtaining a first set of parameters from a plurality of data sources deployed within an environment, in real-time.

An automatic driving system allows a vehicle with a higher shipment priority to be transported preferentially, by controlling transport of each of several vehicles in any of steps from production to shipment includes: a priority acquisition unit configured to acquire a shipment priority set for each vehicle; and a control instruction unit configured to determine control content for at least some of the vehicles using the priority acquired by the priority acquisition unit such that a vehicle of the several vehicles that is given a first priority is transported in preference to another vehicle of the several vehicles that is given a second priority lower than the first priority, and to instruct the at least some of several vehicles on the control content. Each vehicle includes a driving control unit configured to execute driving control according to instructions from the control instruction unit.

An automatic driving system allows a vehicle with a higher shipment priority to be transported preferentially, by controlling transport of each of several vehicles in any of steps from production to shipment includes: a priority acquisition unit configured to acquire a shipment priority set for each vehicle; and a control instruction unit configured to determine control content for at least some of the vehicles using the priority acquired by the priority acquisition unit such that a vehicle of the several vehicles that is given a first priority is transported in preference to another vehicle of the several vehicles that is given a second priority lower than the first priority, and to instruct the at least some of several vehicles on the control content. Each vehicle includes a driving control unit configured to execute driving control according to instructions from the control instruction unit.

A system for loading and transporting parcels includes: a sorter including a plurality of chutes for offloading parcels from the sorter; a plurality of totes; a plurality of self-driving vehicles (SDVs) configured to transport the plurality of totes between a loading area, an unloading area, and a queue area; and a control subsystem. The loading area includes a plurality of zones, with each zone corresponding to one or more chutes of the sorter. The control subsystem includes a controller, which is operably connected to the SDVs, and which selectively communicates instructions to dispatch SDVs to transport and replace totes in the loading area as they become filled to the predetermined capacity. A method for loading and transporting parcels in a sorting facility including a loading area, an unloading area, and a queue area is also disclosed.

A map updating technique offers the performance advantages gained by robots using a good-quality static map for autonomous navigation within an environment, while providing the convenience of automatic updating. In particular, one or more robots log data while performing autonomous navigation in the environment according to the static map, and a computer appliance, such as a centralized server, collects the logged data as historic logged data, and performs a map update process using the historic logged data. Such operations provide for periodic or as needed updating of the static map, based on observational data from the robot(s) that capture changes in the environment, without need for taking the robot(s) offline for the computation.

A server device includes an area setting unit that sets a first area in which a first lawnmower executes first lawn-mowing work in a work area and a second area in which a second lawnmower executes second lawn-mowing work in the work area, a time calculation unit that obtains a first time necessary for the first lawnmower to execute the first lawn-mowing work in the first area and a second time necessary for the second lawnmower to execute the second lawn-mowing work in the second area, a machine number calculation unit that obtains the number of first lawnmowers and the number of second lawnmowers based on the first time and the second time, and a notification unit that notifies the number of first lawnmowers and the number of second lawnmowers to a smartphone. Consequently, a user can check the number of first lawnmowers and the number of second lawnmowers.

A control method according to the present disclosure is performed by a control device for use in remotely monitoring mobile bodies each of which autonomously performs a task, and includes: receiving, from a first mobile body included in the mobile bodies, a remote support request indicating a request for remote operation support; identifying a second mobile body different from the first mobile body; obtaining first and second task information about first and second tasks being performed by the first and second mobile bodies, and calculating priorities of the first and second tasks based on the first and second task information; and when the priority of the first task is lower than that of the second task, transmitting, to the first mobile body, a first control command for remotely operating the first mobile body without hindering the second mobile body from performing the second task.

A control method according to the present disclosure is performed by a control device for use in remotely monitoring mobile bodies each of which autonomously performs a task, and includes: receiving, from a first mobile body included in the mobile bodies, a remote support request indicating a request for remote operation support; identifying a second mobile body different from the first mobile body; obtaining first and second task information about first and second tasks being performed by the first and second mobile bodies, and calculating priorities of the first and second tasks based on the first and second task information; and when the priority of the first task is lower than that of the second task, transmitting, to the first mobile body, a first control command for remotely operating the first mobile body without hindering the second mobile body from performing the second task.

A transport system includes: a plurality of transport vehicles capable of autonomously moving between a departure place and a destination; a terminal used for inputting a transport request instruction including information about a plurality of transported objects to be respectively transported by the plurality of transport vehicles; and a server capable of communicating with the plurality of transport vehicles and the terminal. The server calculates priorities of the plurality of transported objects to be transported from the departure place to the destination, based on the transport request instruction, and assigns, in accordance with the priorities, the plurality of transport vehicles to respectively transport the plurality of transported objects from transport vehicles in a state of being capable of transporting, out of the plurality of transport vehicles, and outputs, at a predetermined timing, a movement instruction to each of the assigned plurality of transport vehicles.

A material outbound method includes: determining a first outbound order corresponding to a first robot among at least one robot, where a carrying task performed by the at least one robot corresponds to a same workstation, and the first robot is a robot that first carries a material to the workstation; controlling a third robot according to a control strategy; and determining the control strategy for the third robot based on whether robots corresponding to the first outbound order include a second robot, where the second robot is a robot other than the first robot that corresponds to the first outbound order, the control strategy includes controlling the third robot to suspend performing a carrying task, the carrying task includes a carrying task corresponding to at least one second outbound order, and the at least one second outbound order is an outbound order other than the first outbound order.