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. Various techniques 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. Navigation techniques can include navigation history and backtracking, motion direction detection for dual swivel casters, use of gyroscopes, determining cart weight, multi-level navigation, multi-level magnetic measurements, use of lighting signatures, use of multiple navigation systems, or hard/soft iron compensation for different cart configurations.

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.

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 portable workstation for use in a front passenger seat in an interior of a vehicle includes a body member having a plurality of walls that, together, form a box-shape configuration defining a closed bottom, an open top, and an interior area. The body member includes side walls having lower edges that are angled and increasingly offset from the bottom wall so as to be complementary to a bottom of the front passenger seat. A front wall extends downwardly from the bottom wall and in front of the front passenger seat, whereby to grip the front passenger seat. Walls extend upwardly to form compartments for receiving an article. The portable workstation includes a module attachment assembly having a plurality of upstanding side walls and a top surface defining multiple receiver slots. The workstation includes multiple accessory modules each having at least one boss removably received in a receiver slot.

A system for charging a vehicle-mounted battery comprising a vehicle, a battery, a plurality of electrical contacts, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts is coupled to the vehicle and at least one of the plurality of electrical contacts is electrically connected to the battery, a plurality of electric power transfer components, wherein at least one of the plurality of electric power transfer components rotates about an axis, and wherein each of the plurality of electric power transfer components is configured to prevent undesired connections between the plurality of electric power transfer components and the vehicle, and a power source.

A castored base for a medical cart, the base comprising: a central hub body with a plurality of legs extending radially outwardly therefrom wherein each leg comprises a socket or sleeve at an outer end of said each leg for connecting a castor to the socket or sleeve, the central hub body comprising an outer side wall extending between an upper and lower portions of the hub, the outer wall of the hub body comprising first and second leg attachment portions that are positioned at diametrically opposed locations on the outer wall of the hub body and wherein a first pair of legs is attached at the first leg attachment portion and a second pair of legs is attached at the second leg attachment portion; wherein at each of the first and second leg attachment portions, a first leg from a respective pair of legs is attached at a first attachment location on the hub body and a second leg from said respective pair is attached at a second attachment location on the hub body and wherein in-use height of the first attachment location is greater than in-use height of the second attachment location

A power receiving system includes a first receiving coil, a second receiving coil, a receiving circuit, a switching circuit, and a shorting circuit. The first receiving coil is at a first location on the cart. The second receiving coil is at a second location different from the first location on the cart. The receiving circuit generates direct current (DC) power from the power received by the first receiving coil or the second receiving coil. The switching circuit connects one of the first and second receiving coils to the receiving circuit. The shorting circuit disables the other one of the first and second receiving coils.

A cart storage system for storing a movable cart includes a storage plate inclined with respect to a floor in a first direction crossing a moving direction of a cart, a stopper along a back side of the storage plate in the moving direction, and a first holding plate extending along the moving direction, configured to stop movement of the cart in the lateral direction, and disposed a first predetermined distance away from a lateral side of the storage plate.

Various embodiments herein relate to powered pusher devices configured to push wheeled objects from one location to another. Further embodiments relate to wheeled objects such as carts for transporting items from one location to another. Other embodiments relate to platform powered pushers that can be coupled to a family of various wheeled objects.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to a cinch for securing a train of nested shopping carts, the cinch having a non-abrasive cart-handle coupler for securely attaching the cinch to a shopping-cart handle of a front and/or rear cart of the train. In an illustrative example, the non-abrasive cart-handle coupler may include a soft loop of braid configured to latchedly circumscribe the shopping-cart handle. In an exemplary embodiment, the non-abrasive cart-handle coupler may include a latching hook having a non-abrasive handle-engagement surface. In some embodiments, the cinch may secure both a front and a rear cart of the train of nested shopping carts. In some embodiments, a ratcheting member may be used to tighten the cinch that secures the train of nested carts. When tightened, the train of carts may bow upwardly, elevating wheels attached to carts at both the front and rear ends of the train.