The present invention provides a safe path planning method including a process of using a grid map and a congestion map, and a process of planning a path of a mobile robot using a cost function.

An elevated system for providing support and control of a network of mobile robotic apparatus contains a system of tracks attached to an elevated structure with means to connect one or more adjacent tracks for the mobile robotic apparatus to traverse the track system. The mobile robotic apparatus contains one or more mobile robotic units with means to actuate and process sensor input and provide multimedia and communication signal monitoring and tracking capabilities. A remote controller not attached to the track system nor robotic apparatus provides command and control to the robotic units, and provides electronic storage of data generated by the robotic units and/or remote controller.

A control method of an autonomous mobile robot comprises: receiving a dock signal and executing a control program according to the dock signal. The control program includes detecting a first guiding signal, a second guiding signal and a third guiding signal transmitted by the charging station via the first sensing unit, the second sensing unit and the third sensing unit, sensing a measured distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the charging station when the second guiding signal is detected by the second sensing unit, and the autonomous mobile robot moves toward the charging station or away from the charging station according to the measured distance and a first threshold, and re-executing the control program.

An indoor localization and navigation system for a mobile robot, the system comprising: a projector mounted on the mobile robot and configured to project a temporal projector light signal, wherein the temporal projector light signal is encoded, for each pixel of the projector, with an information segment comprising the pixel coordinates of the each pixel of the projector; a stationary sensor node comprising a light sensor configured to detect the temporal projector light signal and generate a sensor signal and a transmitter configured to transmit a sensor node identifier and a position code generated based on the sensor signal; a receiver mounted on the mobile robot and configured to receive the sensor node identifier and the position code from the transmitter; and an onboard computer mounted on the mobile robot and operatively coupled to the projector and the receiver, wherein the onboard computer is configured to receive the sensor node identifier and the position code from the receiver and to determine a location information of the mobile robot based on the received sensor node identifier and the position code.

A robotic system includes a robotic vehicle having a propulsion system, one or more sensors that image data representative of an external environment, and a controller that determines a waypoint for the robotic vehicle to move toward. The controller determines limitations on movement of the robotic vehicle toward a waypoint. The limitations are based on the image data. The controller controls the propulsion system to move the robotic vehicle to the waypoint subject to the limitations on the movement to avoid colliding with one or more objects. The controller determines one or more additional waypoints subsequent to the robotic vehicle reaching the waypoint, determines one or more additional limitations on the movement of the robotic vehicle toward each of the respective additional waypoints, and control the propulsion system of the robotic vehicle to sequentially move the robotic vehicle to the one or more additional waypoints.

A robotic system includes one or more optical sensors configured to separately obtain two dimensional (2D) image data and three dimensional (3D) image data of a brake lever of a vehicle, a manipulator arm configured to grasp the brake lever of the vehicle, and a controller configured to compare the 2D image data with the 3D image data to identify one or more of a location or a pose of the brake lever of the vehicle. The controller is configured to control the manipulator arm to move toward, grasp, and actuate the brake lever of the vehicle based on the one or more of the location or the pose of the brake lever.

A robotic system includes a controller configured to obtain image data from one or more optical sensors and to determine one or more of a location and/or pose of a vehicle component based on the image data. The controller also is configured to determine a model of an external environment of the robotic system based on the image data and to determine tasks to be performed by components of the robotic system to perform maintenance on the vehicle component. The controller also is configured to assign the tasks to the components of the robotic system and to communicate control signals to the components of the robotic system to autonomously control the robotic system to perform the maintenance on the vehicle component.

A robot system with a robot that has a camera and a remote control station that can connect to the robot. The connection can include a plurality of privileges. The system further includes a server that controls which privileges are provided to the remote control station. The privileges may include the ability to control the robot, joint in a multi-cast session and the reception of audio/video from the robot. The privileges can be established and edited through a manager control station. The server may contain a database that defines groups of remote control station that can be connected to groups of robots. The database can be edited to vary the stations and robots within a group. The system may also allow for connectivity between a remote control station at a user programmable time window.

An information processing method and an electronic device are provided. The method includes: acquiring a first parameter related to a first behavior of a user of an electronic device, in a case that a current position of the electronic device is a first position, where the first behavior is a behavior which does not cause the electronic device to move; determining whether the first parameter meets a preset condition to obtain a first determination result; and adjusting the current position from the first position to a second position, in a case that it is determined that the first parameter meets the preset condition.

Features are disclosed for providing guidance regarding robotic traffic density to humans working in the same physical area as robots. Through analysis of the planned and/or historical routes of the robotic traffic, traffic densities can be identified for the physical area. The densities may be used to generate a heat map or other visual display for presentation to human workers. This allows the workers to move through the physical area with a better understanding of where robot traffic is dense and how to best avoid interrupting those assets.