A braking apparatus for a hand truck that keeps the hand truck stable while lifting or dropping a load from the hand truck. The braking apparatus includes a lever and clamps for pivotally mounting the lever to an axle of the hand truck, and a recoiling mechanism that allows the lever to switch between a deployed position and a non-interfering position. The operator can press the lever against the floor to prevent the rolling of the hand truck while loading.

A robotic surgery cart has a pair of rear wheel assemblies and a pair of front wheel assemblies. A brake assembly for the robotic surgery cart includes a gearbox interposed between and connected to the pair of rear wheel assemblies by rotatable shafts. Elongate actuators extend between and interconnect the rotatable shafts and brake mechanisms for the front wheel assemblies. A pedal lever is rotatably coupled to the gearbox and can rotate clockwise by pressing one portion of the pedal lever and can rotate counterclockwise by pressing another portion of the pedal lever. Rotation of the pedal lever causes the gearbox to rotate the rotatable shafts to substantially lock the pair of rear wheel assemblies, and substantially simultaneously causes a translation of the elongate actuators to actuate the brake mechanisms of the front wheel assemblies, such that the wheels of the front and rear wheel assemblies brake substantially simultaneously.

A robotic surgery cart has a pair of rear wheel assemblies and a pair of front wheel assemblies. A brake assembly for the robotic surgery cart includes a gearbox interposed between and connected to the pair of rear wheel assemblies by rotatable shafts. Elongate actuators extend between and interconnect the rotatable shafts and brake mechanisms for the front wheel assemblies. A pedal lever is rotatably coupled to the gearbox and can rotate clockwise by pressing one portion of the pedal lever and can rotate counterclockwise by pressing another portion of the pedal lever. Rotation of the pedal lever causes the gearbox to rotate the rotatable shafts to substantially lock the pair of rear wheel assemblies, and substantially simultaneously causes a translation of the elongate actuators to actuate the brake mechanisms of the front wheel assemblies, such that the wheels of the front and rear wheel assemblies brake substantially simultaneously.

A hub motor includes a hub motor body, an axle extending into the hub motor body, a rotor coupled to the outer housing, a stator within the rotor and coupled to the axle, and a brake within the hub motor body. The brake may include a brake pad spring-biased into braking engagement and moved out of braking engagement by an electromagnetic coil, such that the brake will fail into a braked state.

A system for monitoring and controlling shopping cart usage comprises a wheel assembly that attaches to a shopping cart. The wheel assembly includes a wheel, a brake that can be activated to inhibit rotation of the wheel, a controller that controls the brake, a VLF receiver, and an RF transceiver. The RF transceiver may, for example, operate in a 2.4 GHz frequency band. In some implementations, the RF transceiver may be used to detect entry of the shopping cart into a checkout area of the store, and the VLF receiver may be used to detect that the shopping cart is exiting the store. The controller may activate the brake if the shopping cart attempts to exit the store without first passing through a checkout area.

Multi-level delivery systems and various apparatus associated therewith are presented. Multi-level delivery systems include a number of integrated, modular and interchangeable compactible elements that may work either alone or in conjunction with other such elements to allow for the deployment of a delivery system having a smaller overall spatial footprint when compared to comparable conventional delivery systems. Apparatus combining to form a delivery system may include one or more of: a compactible container cart, a compactible cart hauler or trailer, a propulsion means, and/or a maneuverability means. These elements or apparatus may be deployed in any combination, either together as an integrated system or with compatible conventional apparatus. In combination, delivery systems maximize space efficiency, and allow for adaption to any environment and scale.

Multi-level delivery systems and various apparatus associated therewith are presented. Multi-level delivery systems include a number of integrated, modular and interchangeable compactible elements that may work either alone or in conjunction with other such elements to allow for the deployment of a delivery system having a smaller overall spatial footprint when compared to comparable conventional delivery systems. Apparatus combining to form a delivery system may include one or more of: a compactible container cart, a compactible cart hauler or trailer, a propulsion means, and/or a maneuverability means. These elements or apparatus may be deployed in any combination, either together as an integrated system or with compatible conventional apparatus. In combination, delivery systems maximize space efficiency, and allow for adaption to any environment and scale.

Examples of systems and methods for locating movable objects such as carts (e.g., shopping carts) are disclosed. Such systems and methods can use dead reckoning techniques to estimate the current position of the movable object. Various techniques for improving accuracy of position estimates are disclosed, including compensation for various error sources involving the use of magnetometer and accelerometer, and using vibration analysis to derive wheel rotation rates. Also disclosed are various techniques to utilize characteristics of the operating environment in conjunction with or in lieu of dead reckoning techniques, including characteristic of environment such as ground texture, availability of signals from radio frequency (RF) transmitters including precision fix sources. Such systems and methods can be applied in both indoor and outdoor settings and in retail or warehouse settings.

A method for using a mobile anchor cart assembly can include repositioning the mobile anchor cart assembly from an anchored position to a mobile position on a ground surface, mobile anchor cart assembly including a cart, the cart including a frame resting upon the ground surface in the anchored position, the frame clearing the ground surface in the mobile position; and an axle assembly mounted to the frame, the axle assembly clearing the ground surface in the anchored position, the axle assembly contacting the ground surface in the mobile position; and a load defining a load center of gravity, the load center of gravity being vertically aligned over at least a portion of the axle assembly in the anchored position; and rolling the mobile anchor cart assembly along the ground surface with the axle assembly.

According to one embodiment a shopping cart includes an imaging unit configured to acquire images of a surface at a location of the shopping cart and a controller. The controller is configured to detect a boundary pattern in images acquired by the imaging unit. The boundary pattern is painted or drawn on the surface at a boundary between a first area and a second area. Based on the detected boundary pattern the controller determines whether the shopping cart has been moved from the first area to the second area or from the second area to the first area. The controller then controls mobility of the shopping cart based on whether the shopping cart has been moved from the first area to the second area or from the second area to the first area.