In various examples, determining collision spheres for machines and applications is described herein. Systems and methods described herein use one or more parameters, such as a maximum number of points and/or an overshoot distance, to determine a candidate set of spheres associated with a mesh of an object. For instance, the maximum number of points may be used to generate a grid of points associated with the mesh and the overshoot distance may be used to then generate the candidate set of spheres that are centered at the points included in the grid. The systems and methods described herein may then sample a number of points located on a surface of the mesh and use the sampled points to remove (e.g., prune) one or more spheres from the candidate set of spheres in order to generate a final set of spheres for the object.

A method for use in a robotic work tool system (200) comprising a server (240) and a robotic work tool (100) arranged to operate in an operational area (205) based on a satellite navigation sensor (175), wherein the method comprises: receiving (410) one or more safety boundaries (220, 220-1, 220-2) and storing these in a safety map (120A-1) of the operational area (205), receiving (420) one or more zone boundaries (220-3, 220-4, 220-5, 220-6) and storing these in a zone map (120A-2) of the operational area (205), and operating (440) according to the one or more zone boundaries (220-3, 220-4, 220-5, 220-6) and the one or more safety boundaries (220, 220-1, 220-2), wherein the one or more zone boundaries (220-3, 220-4, 220-5, 220-6) are related to an operating schedule and the one or more safety boundaries (220, 220-1, 220-2) are related to safety concerns for the robotic work tool (100) and wherein the method is characterized in that the one or more zone boundaries (220-3, 220-4, 220-5, 220-6) are received by the server (240) and in that the method further comprises confirming (430) the one or more safety boundaries (220, 220-1, 220-2) on location in the operational area (205) prior to operating (440) according to the one or more safety boundaries (220, 220-1, 220-2).

Embodiments provided herein include systems and methods for location-based field shaping. One embodiment of a system includes a materials handling vehicle and a computing device that are configured to receive location data via at least one of the plurality of transceiver anchors, receive sensor data from at least one sensor related to the characteristic of operation of the materials handling vehicle, and determine a first location of the materials handling vehicle in the covered environment. Some embodiments may be configured to determine a vector of movement of the materials handling vehicle, determine a shaped detection field for the materials handling vehicle from the vector of movement, and detect an object that encroaches on the shaped detection field. Some embodiments may be configured to send information to the materials handling vehicle to alter operation of the materials handling vehicle to reduce a likelihood of collision with the object.

A mobile robot can include a projector configured to project visual information onto one or more surfaces, and a controller configured to project, via the projector, first visual information for marking a safety area onto a ground surface in a vicinity of the mobile robot while the mobile robot is traveling, and in response to determining a change in at least one of a traveling state of the mobile robot or a surrounding situation of the mobile robot, generate changed first visual information and project the changed first visual information onto the ground surface.

A vehicle includes a chassis, a frame, a tractive element, a drive motor, and a cart interface. The cart interface includes a base frame coupled to the frame assembly of the vehicle, and a first and second pin assembly. The first and second pin assembly each include first pin configured to engage a cart and a actuator configured to raise the pin relative to the frame. The first pin assembly also includes a first linear actuator configured to bias the first pin relative to the first linear actuator and to permit relative movement between the first pin and first linear actuator. The cart interface includes a first actuator to reposition the first pin independently of the second pin and is configured to hold the pin in either of a lowered position, a raised position above a lowered position and an intermediate position between the raised and lowered positions.

A vehicle system includes a first vehicle and a second vehicle. The first vehicle includes a first drive motor configured to drive one or more of a first plurality of tractive elements to propel the first vehicle, and a first cradle configured to support a product at a first end thereof for movement. The second vehicle includes a second drive motor configured to drive one or more of a second plurality of tractive elements to propel the second vehicle, and a second cradle configured to support the product at a second end thereof for movement. The first vehicle and the second vehicle move the product via at least one of the first drive motor or the second drive motor.

A vehicle coupling system includes a first vehicle, a second vehicle, and a tow bar. The first vehicle includes a drive motor configured to propel the first vehicle and a lifting implement configured to support a product for movement. The second vehicle includes a lifting implement configured to support the product for movement. The tow bar is coupled to the first vehicle at a first end of the tow bar and coupled to the second vehicle at a second end of the tow bar opposite the first end. Responsive to the drive motor propelling the first vehicle, the tow bar exerts a force on the second vehicle to maintain a space between the second vehicle and the first vehicle.

A vehicle may include a frame, a drive system configured to propel the vehicle, an energy storage device configured to provide power to the drive system, a lift implement including a cradle to support a load and a lift assembly configured to adjust a position of the cradle relative to the frame, one or more sensors configured to provide sensing data indicative of at least one of a status of the vehicle, the load supported by the cradle, or an environment surrounding the vehicle, and a controller. The controller is configured to operate the vehicle in a first mode of a plurality of modes including a manual mode, a guided vehicle mode, and an autonomous mode, determine a match value between the sensing data and at least one operational criteria of a plurality of operational criteria; and operate the vehicle in a second mode based on the match value.

A cart includes a chassis including one or more frame members, one or more casters, a first channel and a second channel coupled to the chassis, the first channel defining a longitudinal axis and the second channel defining a lateral axis. The first channel and the second channel each include a pair of guides each including a first portion and a second portion and a flat member coupling the guide to the frame members. The first portions extend substantially parallel to one another. The second portions are angled to increase a distance between the second portions as the second portions extend away from the first portions.

A vehicle includes a frame, a drivetrain coupled to the frame, a base assembly coupled to the frame, and a lifting implement coupled to and supported on the base assembly. The lifting implement includes a platform, a cradle rotatably coupled to and supported on the platform so that the cradle, a scissor assembly coupled between the platform and the base assembly, and a lift actuator coupled between the base assembly and the scissor assembly. The lift actuator is configured to selectively raise the cradle relative to the base assembly. The lift actuator is a multi-stage telescoping actuator that includes a base stage, an intermediate stage, and an outer stage. The base stage is coupled to the base assembly, the outer stage is coupled to the scissor assembly, and the intermediate stage is arranged between the base stage and the outer stage.