An information processing method including: obtaining, for each of two or more autonomous mobile bodies, first information related to the autonomous mobile body; estimating, based on the first information, second information indicating a total number of two or more target autonomous mobile bodies beginning to be operated or monitored by a remote operator during a predetermined period, the two or more target autonomous mobile bodies being among the two or more autonomous mobile bodies; determining whether the total number indicated by the second information is greater than or equal to a predetermined value; and outputting at least one of third information for controlling the target autonomous mobile bodies or fourth information for providing the remote operator with notification, when the total number indicated by the second information is determined to be greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

Example computer-implemented methods and systems for anomaly-sensing based multi-agent navigation are disclosed. One example computer-implemented method includes: receiving relative distance data specifying distance between at least one pair of agents of a plurality of agents, each of a first subset of the plurality of agents having an anomaly sensor subsystem; determining a set of relative pose vectors based at least in part on the relative distance data; receiving anomaly data from at least one anomaly sensor subsystem of one of the plurality of agents; obtaining pre-surveyed map data; determining global pose data of the plurality of agents based on the relative distance data and based on comparing the anomaly data to the pre-surveyed map data; and assigning a task to at least one of the plurality of agents based at least in part on a specialized operational capability of the at least one of the plurality of agents.

Embodiments of the disclosure provide for handover or roaming of unmanned vehicles and missions between ground control stations (GCSs) of the same or different ground control centers (GCCs). Some embodiments receive a control change indication indicative of reassignment of a vehicle associated with a first GCS that is associated with a first GCC. Some embodiments reassign the vehicle from a first GCS to a second GCS associated with the GCC to enable the second GCS to newly access data corresponding to the vehicle via the master control system to enable control of the vehicle. Some embodiments reassign the vehicle from a first GCC to a second GCC by copying data corresponding to the vehicle from the master control system of the first GCC to a second master control system of a second GCC to enable control of the vehicle via at least one GCS of the second GCC.

A pathfinding apparatus acquires vehicle information, map information, obstacle information. The vehicle information includes a current location and a goal location for multiple vehicles. The map information includes a map of a target space. The obstacle information includes history of locations of one or more moving obstacles. The pathfinding apparatus generates one or more obstacle path for each moving obstacle during a target time window, and generates multiple candidate path sets each of which includes a vehicle path during the target time window for each vehicle. The vehicle path is conflict-free with the other vehicle paths and the obstacle paths. The pathfinding apparatus evaluates the candidate path sets through a heuristic search of continuations of the vehicles paths in the candidate path sets, selects one of the candidate path sets based their evaluations, and outputs the selected candidate path set.

An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous rover for transferring payload within the system and including a communicator, a multilevel storage structure, each level allowing traversal of the at least one autonomous rover, at least one registration station disposed at predetermined locations on each level and being configured to communicate with the communicator to at least receive rover identification information, and a controller in communication with the at least one registration station and configured to receive the at least rover identification information and at least one of register the at least one autonomous rover as being on a level corresponding to a respective one of the at least one registration station or deregister the at least one autonomous rover from the system, where the controller effects induction of the at least one autonomous rover into a predetermined rover space on the level.

A method of delivering parcels in two stages. A vehicle transports the parcel to a transfer point using address information from a shipping party. The first vehicle is designed for operation on the pubic road system. The parcel is transferred to a secondary vehicle for delivery to the final delivery point. The second vehicle which may one vehicle or multiple vehicles with multiple parcels finishes the delivery. The second vehicle is autonomous and adapted to use off of public roads or in smaller spaces. It relies on information provided by the recipient or the location controller of the area for the second delivery segment. The information may define a geometric path for the vehicle to traverse or may be information to pass restrictions such as locked doors in the final delivery path. The method provides advantages of efficiency, security and late provision of final delivery information.

Systems and methods implemented in algorithms, software, firmware, logic, or circuitry may be configured to process data and sensory input to determine whether an object external to an autonomous vehicle (e.g., another vehicle, a pedestrian, road debris, a bicyclist, etc.) may be a potential collision threat to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be configured to implement active safety measures to avoid the potential collision and/or mitigate the impact of an actual collision to passengers in the autonomous vehicle and/or to the autonomous vehicle itself. Interior safety systems, exterior safety systems, a drive system or some combination of those systems may be activated to implement active safety measures in the autonomous vehicle.

Various embodiments relate generally to autonomous vehicles and associated mechanical, electrical and electronic hardware, computer software and systems, and wired and wireless network communications to provide an autonomous vehicle fleet as a service. More specifically, systems, devices, and methods are configured to manage a fleet of autonomous vehicles. In particular, a method may include determining destination locations for autonomous vehicles, calculating, at an autonomous vehicle service platform, delivery locations to which the autonomous vehicles are directed, identifying data to implement a delivery location associated with an autonomous vehicle, and transmitting data representing a command to the autonomous vehicle. The command may be configured to cause navigation of the autonomous vehicle to the delivery location.

Systems and methods implemented in algorithms, software, firmware, logic, or circuitry may be configured to process data and sensory input to determine whether an object external to an autonomous vehicle (e.g., another vehicle, a pedestrian, road debris, a bicyclist, etc.) may be a potential collision threat to the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle may be configured to implement active safety measures to avoid the potential collision and/or mitigate the impact of an actual collision to passengers in the autonomous vehicle and/or to the autonomous vehicle itself. Interior safety systems, exterior safety systems, a drive system or some combination of those systems may be activated to implement active safety measures in the autonomous vehicle.

Various embodiments relate generally to autonomous vehicles and associated mechanical, electrical and electronic hardware, computer software and systems, and wired and wireless network communications to provide map data for autonomous vehicles. In particular, a method may include accessing subsets of multiple types of sensor data, aligning subsets of sensor data relative to a global coordinate system based on the multiple types of sensor data to form aligned sensor data, and generating datasets of three-dimensional map data. The method further includes detecting a change in data relative to at least two datasets of the three-dimensional map data and applying the change in data to form updated three-dimensional map data. The change in data may be representative of a state change of an environment at which the sensor data is sensed. The state change of the environment may be related to the presence or absences of an object located therein.