A mobile robot is configured to navigate on a sidewalk and deliver a delivery to a predetermined location. The robot has a body and an enclosed space within the body for storing the delivery during transit. At least two cameras are mounted on the robot body and are adapted to take visual images of an operating area. A processing component is adapted to extract straight lines from the visual images taken by the cameras and generate map data based at least partially on the images. A communication component is adapted to send and receive image and/or map data. A mapping system includes at least two such mobile robots, with the communication component of each robot adapted to send and receive image data and/or map data to the other robot. A method involves operating such a mobile robot in an area of interest in which deliveries are to be made.

An underground exploration apparatus 100 that explores underground using electromagnetic waves includes a radar unit 1 for underground exploration including an antenna and a transceiver, three omni-directional movement type wheels 2a to 2c that are rotatably fixed to three wheel shafts arranged at 120 degrees intervals and can move the underground exploration apparatus in any direction by changing rotation directions and rotation speeds of the three wheels, three motors 3a to 3c that rotate the three wheels 2a to 2c in predetermined directions at predetermined speeds, a terminal 10 that controls the radar unit 1 and the three motors 3a to 3c. The terminal 10 includes a calculation unit 23 that calculates an external force applied to the underground exploration apparatus 100 using measurement data measured by three encoders 4a to 4c, three torque sensors 5a to 5c, an acceleration sensor 6, and a gyroscopic sensor 7, and a first control unit 26 that rotates the three motors 3a to 3c according to the external force.

A robotic work tool system, comprising a robotic work tool, said robotic work tool comprising a position determining device for determining a current position and at least one deduced reckoning (also known as dead reckoning) navigation sensor, the robotic work tool being configured to determine that a reliable and accurate current position is possible to determine and in response thereto determine an expected navigation parameter, compare the expected navigation parameter to a current navigation parameter to determine a navigation error, determine if the navigation error is negligible, and if the navigation error is not negligible, cause the robotic work tool to change its trajectory to accommodate for the navigation error. Wherein the robotic work tool (100) is further configured to change the trajectory by aligning the trajectory with an expected trajectory, wherein the expected trajectory is determined as an expected direction originating from an expected position and wherein the robotic work tool (100) is configured to change the trajectory by returning to a position that should have been visited and aligning the trajectory with the expected direction originating from the expected position, said position that should have been visited being aligned with the expected direction originating from the expected position.

A controller may receive, from a sensor device, machine velocity data indicating a velocity of a machine controlled by a remote control device. The controller may determine, based on the machine velocity data, a distance to be traveled by the machine until the machine stops traveling after a communication, between the machine and the remote control device, is interrupted. The controller may generate, based on the distance, an overlay to indicate the distance. The controller may provide the overlay, for display, with a video feed of an environment surrounding the machine.

A materials handling vehicle includes a camera, odometry module, processor, and drive mechanism. The camera captures images of an identifier for a racking system aisle and a rack leg portion in the aisle. The processor uses the identifier to generate information indicative of an initial rack leg position and rack leg spacing in the aisle, generate an initial vehicle position using the initial rack leg position, generate a vehicle odometry-based position using odometry data and the initial vehicle position, detect a subsequent rack leg using a captured image, correlate the detected subsequent rack leg with an expected vehicle position using rack leg spacing, generate an odometry error signal based on a difference between the positions, and update the vehicle odometry-based position using the odometry error signal and/or generated mast sway compensation to use for end of aisle protection and/or in/out of aisle localization.

A method for recording and predicting position data for a self-propelled wheeled vehicle (1) carrying a load (14) is provided whereby the vehicle (1) is caused to move along a ground surface (5) along a predominantly straight line trajectory (17) by rotating at least one load carrying wheel (3) in frictional engagement with the surface (5), angular rotation data of at least one wheel (3) is obtained, absolute position data are obtained at different predetermined fixed positions P.sub.n of the vehicle (1) with respect to the surface (5) along the straight line trajectory (17), whereby the distance travels is measured independently and used to calibrate motion sensors on board the vehicle. The invention also comprises a delivery or pick up system, a program for an on-board computing device and an on-board computing device.

A robotic lawnmower (100) for movable operation within a work area (205) has a satellite navigation device (190), a deduced reckoning navigation sensor (195) and a controller (110). The controller causes the robotic lawnmower (100) to movably operate within the work area (205) in a first operating mode, the first operating mode being based on positions determined from satellite signals received by the satellite navigation device (190). The controller determines that a position cannot be reliably determined based on satellite signals received by the satellite navigation device (190), and in response thereto causes the robotic lawnmower (100) to movably operate within the work area (205) in a second operating mode. In the second operating mode, a deduced reckoning position estimate is obtained by the deduced reckoning navigation device (195). A search space is defined using the deduced reckoning position estimate, and the satellite navigation device (190) is recalibrated based on the defined search space. Once the satellite navigation device (190) has been recalibrated, the controller causes the robotic lawnmower (100) to again operate in the first operating mode.

A robotic work tool system (200) comprising a charging station (210) and a robotic work tool (100) configured to work within a work area (205) being divided into at least one section (405), the robotic work tool comprising a controller (110) for controlling the operation of the robotic work tool (100) to cause the robotic work tool to move along a trajectory, the robotic work tool (100) being configured to determine that a section boundary is encountered, and if so change the trajectory of the robotic work tool (100) to cause the robotic work tool to remain in the section.

A method of operating a robotic cleaning device over a surface to be cleaned, the method being performed by the robotic cleaning device. The method includes: following a boundary of a first object while registering path markers including positional information at intervals on the surface; tracing previously registered path markers at an offset upon encountering one or more of the previously registered path markers; and switching from tracing the previously registered path markers to following an edge of a second object upon detection of the second object.

A moving system comprising a master controller for monitoring and controlling a master operation comprising one or more individual movers such that each mover arrives at predefined end point at selected times. Each mover includes a mover control system that interacts with the master controller and has a predefined virtual vector path with one or more defined end points. The predefined virtual vector path comprises a plurality of discrete points, wherein each discrete point has a vector axis for use by the master controller and the mover control system to direct the mover to move such that it arrives at each defined end point at a selected time. In operation, the master controller functions to modify the predefined virtual path and sends commands to the mover control system in response to changes in the master operations.