A motorized cart retriever, which may be a cart pusher or a cart puller, can apply a force to a nest of human-propelled, wheeled carts to facilitate retrieval of the carts. The cart retriever can include a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive cart status information from cart transmitters of the wheeled carts and wirelessly report event data to a control unit. The cart status information may include an identification of the cart transmitter, a location of the cart, a lock or unlock status of a cart wheel, a misuse condition, etc. The event data can include the cart status information, a number of wheeled carts being retrieved, etc. The cart wheel may include a brake. The transceiver may communicate a message to the cart wheel to keep the brake unactuated during retrieval. The control unit may analyze the event data to detect traffic patterns of the carts.

A power supply device that supplies power to multiple carts, a cart, and a method for charging such cart are provided. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the power supply device that supplies the power to the multiple carts calculates charging allocation of carts based on priorities of the carts to control charging of the carts.

A navigation system uses a dead reckoning method to estimate an object's present position relative to one or more prior positions. In some embodiments, the dead reckoning method determines a change in position from the object's heading and speed during an elapsed time interval. In embodiments suitable for use with wheeled objects, the dead reckoning method determines the change in position by measuring the heading and the amount of wheel rotation. Some or all of the components of the navigation system may be disposed within a wheel, such as a wheel of a shopping cart.

Systems and methods for operating a vending system for renting carts or strollers. The methods comprise: performing tag read operations or barcode scan operations by a device disposed at a lock mechanism of the vending system to obtain a unique identifier for a cart or stroller; selecting, by a computing device of the vending system, an image from a plurality of pre-stored images based on the unique identifier; displaying, by the computing device, the selected image along with other images as part of a graphical user interface facilitating cart or stroller rental; receiving, by the computing device, at least one user input for renting a cart or stroller associated with one of the displayed images; and performing operations by the computing device to cause a release of the lock mechanism that is locking the rented cart or stroller to the vending system.

A shopping cart includes a frame having a chassis portion and a handle portion extending upward from the chassis portion, a pair of front casters and a pair of rear casters mounted on the frame, and a basket connected to the frame and supported by the frame, the basket defining a chamber for holding articles, where the frame further includes a support structure connected to the chassis and the basket and supporting a portion of the basket. The shopping cart may include a number of wear resistance features that decrease the wear on the cart and extend the life of the shopping cart.

A cart power supply equipment includes a frame providing a cart storage region, a guide including an uphill slope portion having an uphill slope along a cart guide direction to the cart storage region and a downhill slope portion having a downhill slope in the cart guide direction, the downhill slope portion being downstream of the uphill slope portion along the cart guide direction, a first stopper configured to stop a cart at a stop position on the downhill slope portion of the guide, a detector configured to detect that the cart is at the stop position, a power transmitter configured to transmit power for charging in a non-contact manner, and a controller configured to control the power transmitter to start transmitting the power when the detector detects that the cart is at the stop position.

Apparatuses, components and methods are provided herein useful to provide assistance to customers and/or workers in a shopping facility. In some embodiments, a shopping facility personal assistance system comprises: a plurality of motorized transport units located in and configured to move through a shopping facility space; a plurality of user interface units, each corresponding to a respective motorized transport unit during use of the respective motorized transport unit; and a central computer system having a network interface such that the central computer system wirelessly communicates with one or both of the plurality of motorized transport units and the plurality of user interface units, wherein the central computer system is configured to control movement of the plurality of motorized transport units through the shopping facility space based at least on inputs from the plurality of user interface units.

A dual directional gate that allows an object to move freely in one direction over the gate, but limits the removable of one object over the gate in the opposite direction. The gate assembly includes a blocking arm, a cam element and a protruding arm mounted on a rotating driver shaft. The gate assembly also includes a drive shaft parallel to said driver shaft. Mounted on the drive shaft is a latch mounted on the drive shaft with a proximal end that presses against the cam element and prevents rotation of the blocking arm towards the latch. Also mounted on the drive shaft is a biased follower rod with a distal end that contacts the protruding arm when rotated towards the drive shaft. The gate also includes a pivotally mounted sub-assembly coupled to a solenoid. When the solenoid is activated, the sub-assembly rotates which allows the latch to rotate and unblock the blocking arm and allow an object to forcibly move the blocking arm. Movement of the blocking arm causes the gate toy reset.

According to one embodiment, a moving body includes an electrical component, a base frame that includes caster portions provided to be runnable on a floor surface, and is formed such that a front side is narrower than a rear side along a front-rear direction, the rear side is opened, and thus another moving body is insertable from the rear side, and a battery case that accommodates a battery supplying power to the electrical component and has an opening and closing lid opening rearward. A restricting member is provided inside the base frame and restricts a position of the other moving body inserted from the rear side to a position where the opening and closing lid opens at least to an angle at which the battery in the battery case is replaceable.

A mobile accessory storage, maintenance and tracking system and methods of using same.