A rotatable LIDAR device including contactless electrical couplings is disclosed. An example rotatable LIDAR device includes a vehicle electrical coupling including (i) a first conductive ring, (ii) a second conductive ring, and (iii) a first coil. The example rotatable LIDAR device further includes a LIDAR electrical coupling including (i) a third conductive ring, (ii) a fourth conductive ring, and (iii) a second coil. The example rotatable LIDAR device still further includes a rotatable LIDAR electrically coupled to the LIDAR electrical coupling. The first conductive ring and the third conductive ring form a first capacitor configured to transmit communications to the rotatable LIDAR, the second conductive ring and the fourth conductive ring form a second capacitor configured to transmit communications from the rotatable LIDAR, and the first coil and the second coil form a transformer configured to provide power to the rotatable LIDAR.

A mobility device that can accommodate speed sensitive steering, adaptive speed control, a wide weight range of users, an abrupt change in weight, traction control, active stabilization that can affect the acceleration range of the mobility device and minimize back falls, and enhanced redundancy that can affect the reliability and safety of the mobility device.

A control unit for controlling a rolling stock includes a user interface. The control unit is configured to receive, via the user interface, a plurality of user inputs corresponding to a plurality of users servicing the rolling stock, determine whether at least one user of the plurality of users remains servicing the rolling stock, and if at least one user of the one or more users remains servicing the rolling stock, prevent unauthorized movement of the rolling stock. Other example control units, computer systems including one or more control units, and computer-implemented methods for preventing unauthorized movement of a rolling stock are also disclosed.

A battery system including: a plurality of battery modules; a plurality of switches arranged in a circuit including the plurality of the battery modules, the plurality of the switches being configured to switch connection of the battery modules between a series state and a parallel state; a storage device that stores at least one abnormality pattern; and a control device configured to: i) control switching of each of the plurality of the switches; and ii) control switching of the switches other than the predetermined switch such that the battery modules rue not in a short-circuited state using the abnormality pattern when the predetermined switch is unable to be controlled.

A rotatable LIDAR device including contactless electrical couplings is disclosed. An example rotatable LIDAR device includes a vehicle electrical coupling including (i) a first conductive ring, (ii) a second conductive ring, and (iii) a first coil. The example rotatable LIDAR device further includes a LIDAR electrical coupling including (i) a third conductive ring, (ii) a fourth conductive ring, and (iii) a second coil. The example rotatable LIDAR device still further includes a rotatable LIDAR electrically coupled to the LIDAR electrical coupling. The first conductive ring and the third conductive ring form a first capacitor configured to transmit communications to the rotatable LIDAR, the second conductive ring and the fourth conductive ring form a second capacitor configured to transmit communications from the rotatable LIDAR, and the first coil and the second coil form a transformer configured to provide power to the rotatable LIDAR.

A train control system determines whether deterioration in performance of a sensor for obstacle detection is temporary and allowable from the viewpoint of ensuring safety of train travel or is not negligible from the viewpoint of safety. The train control system has sensors, and an on-board control device that includes a database in that records ground installation objects existing along a travel path of a train, positions of the ground installation objects, and weights set for the ground installation objects. When the sensors detect a ground installation object, the on-board control device collates the detected ground installation object with those recorded in the database, determines that a ground installation object that exists in the database but cannot be detected by the sensors is an undetected ground installation object, calculates a weight for the undetected ground installation object based on information of the database, and determines whether the sensors are abnormal.

An improved system for preventing collisions between movers while improving throughput in a linear drive system utilizes a continually variable vehicle length for each mover. A vehicle length is assigned to each mover, where the vehicle length is a minimum track length required by the vehicle to avoid physically contacting a neighboring vehicle along the track. The vehicle length for each mover is then determined for each location along the track based on both the track geometry and the mover geometry. The vehicle length is continually variable along the length of the track allowing movers to be positioned as close together as possible for each location along the track based on both the track geometry and the mover geometry. The continually variable vehicle length provides collision prevention between movers while increasing throughput of movers along segments of the track that do not require the largest spacing between movers.

A system and method for navigating a vehicle automatically from a current location to a destination location without a human operator is disclosed. The method includes identifying a vehicle location using global positioning system (GPS) data regarding the vehicle. Also included is identifying that the vehicle location is near or at a parking location. Then, using mapping data defined for the parking location. The mapping data at least in part is used to find a path at the parking location to avoid a collision of the vehicle with at least one physical structure when the vehicle is automatically moved at the parking location. The method includes instructing the electronics of the vehicle to proceed with controlling the vehicle to automatically move from the current location to the destination location at the parking location. The electronics use as input at least part of the mapping data and sensor data collected from around the vehicle by at least two vehicle sensors. The path is configured to be updatable dynamically based on changes in the destination location or changes along the path. The destination location is a parking spot for the vehicle at the parking location.

A charging system for an autonomous data machine may be provided. The system may comprise: a charging station, wherein the charging station has a low profile allowing the autonomous data machine to drive over to charge a power supply of the autonomous data machine automatically; and one or more processors of the autonomous data machine configured to make charging decisions to effect charging operations of the autonomous data machine that include charging time, charging location, and operations to be performed during charging. In some instances, the charging decision are based on at least one of the following: location of charging station, availability of charging station, mission parameters, locations of other autonomous data machines, and/or charging requirements and/or availability of charging stations.

The invention relates to a method for automatically connecting a charging connector (12) to a charging connector socket (21) of a vehicle (2), preferably a land vehicle (2), comprising at least the following steps: first optical capturing (100) of the charging connector socket (21) and/or the vehicle (2) as a first image by means of at least one first image capturing unit (13) which is arranged to be movable with the charging connector (12), determining (200) the position of the charging connector socket (21) and/or of the vehicle (2) based on the first image, reducing (300) the distance between the charging connector (12) and the charging connector socket (21) and/or the vehicle (2) by means of a positioning unit (10), and second optical capturing (400) of the charging connector socket (21) and/or of the vehicle (2) as a second image by means of the first image capturing unit (13).