A navigation method includes deploying a plurality of stations about a geographic area, providing the automated guided vehicle in the geographic area, transforming a position of each of the stations into a coordinate in a map, receiving a task command by the automated guided vehicle that includes an end station from one of the plurality of stations to be reached, retrieving a path parameter, identifying a start station as the closest station to the automated guided vehicle, calculating a traveling route connecting the stations by the processor of the automated guided vehicle in an order from the start station to the end station, and determining whether a physically marked line has been detected. If not, controlling the automated guided vehicle to travel along the traveling route and along moving path from one of the stations to one another of the stations with reference to the path parameters.

Disclosed are a motion control method, apparatus and system. The method includes: acquiring a detection signal, wherein the detection signal is generated by an electronic device through sensing a color state of a present motion track of the electronic device; and controlling motion of the electronic device according to the detection signal.

Provided is a light projection system that can be used to indicate a robot's path of travel, a robot including the light projection system, and methods for projecting light to indicate a robot's path of travel. The light projection system can by mounted to the body of the robot, and can be configured to project light onto the ground in front of the robot. The light projection system can be configured to project different illumination patterns that can indicate whether the robot is moving forward, turning, accelerating, and/or slowing down, among other examples.

A driving assistance device includes a guide line detecting unit configured to detect the guide line, a remaining distance acquiring unit configured to acquire a remaining distance to the scheduled stop position, and a braking control unit configured to control deceleration of a vehicle. The guide line detecting unit detects a base-point mark, a curvature of the guide line, and a curvature feature point. The remaining distance acquiring unit acquires the remaining distance on the basis of the position of the base-point mark when the guide line detecting unit has detected the base-point mark, and acquires the remaining distance on the basis of the position of the curvature feature point when the guide line detecting unit has not detect the base-point mark and has detected the curvature feature point.

An autonomous vehicle, in particular an automated guided vehicle, comprises a control device and a sensor for detecting a continuous lane marking. The control device is adapted to control the vehicle along the lane marking in dependence on the detected lane marking, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect a code marking arranged adjacent to the lane marking and to determine a distance between the detected code marking and the lane marking, and wherein the control device is further adapted to control the vehicle in dependence on the determined distance.

An automated guided vehicle system including at least one automated guided vehicle (AGV) for following predetermined magnetic paths on a ground surface to carry cargo to selected points on the paths. The AGV includes a chassis, top plate mounted on the chassis for receipt of cargo, a pair of driving wheels coupled to driving motors, and plural passive omni-wheels. Control and navigation circuitry is provided to operate the motors to drive the driving wheels to cause the AGV to follow a desired one of the paths. The AGV provides illumination indicating its direction of travel and status. It also includes laser scanners for obstacle detection.

To improve estimation accuracy of a self-position. Light at a predetermined wavelength is projected. An image of a reflector with a reflectance higher than a predetermined reflectance is taken by receiving reflected light of the projected light reflected by the reflector. Own orientation is estimated on the basis of the taken image of the reflector. As a result, the self-position can be highly accurately estimated on the basis of the reflector even at night. The present disclosure can be applied to an on-board system.

A system for an autonomous vehicle by providing lane markers on the road for which a vehicle will read and navigate the road. The vehicle transmits a discovery signal and is returned from the marker to indicate the position on the road and how to proceed on the road. The system uses either an autonomous control system or 3D map navigation database to determine the direction of the vehicle in real time.

Methods and systems for detecting sensor orientation characteristics using marker-based localization are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a robotic device can: receive a map of a horizontal marker plane that includes mapped positions of a first marker and a second marker arranged in the horizontal marker plane; receive, from a sensor configured to scan a two-dimensional sensor plane, sensor data indicative of positions of the first and second markers relative to the sensor; determine measured positions of the first and second markers based on the sensor data and a current position of the sensor; determine a difference vector between a first vector that connects the mapped positions of the first and second markers and a second vector that connects the measured positions of the first and second markers; and determine, based on the difference vector, an orientation of the two-dimensional sensor plane relative to the horizontal marker plane.

Disclosed is an automated guided vehicle system including at least one AGV for following predetermined magnetic paths on a ground surface to carry cargo to selected points on the paths. The AGV includes a chassis, top plate mounted on the chassis for receipt of cargo, a pair of driving wheels coupled to driving motors, and plural passive omni-wheels. Control and navigation circuitry is provided to operate the motors to drive the driving wheels to cause the AGV to follow a desired one of the paths. The AGV provides illumination indicating its direction of travel and status. It also includes laser scanners for obstacle detection.