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.

Novel security clearance delivery assistance system for healthcare providers working in hospitals nationwide that improves patient care by reducing or eliminating the amount of time needlessly wasted by manually presenting security clearance smart cards to the security reader for authentication while transporting patients across hospitals. In life or death situations, which occur routinely in hospitals, quick delivery of patients to destinations such as the operating room could mean life or death. A health care professional's ability to save lives may depend in part on their ability to quickly transport patients through secured areas, which currently require the transporter to stop and authenticate at each doorway. With the likelihood of survival decreasing exponentially as time passes, reducing or eliminating interruptions during transportation will enable healthcare providers more time to perform life saving procedures and dramatically increase the likelihood of survival.

According to an embodiment, a mobile body acquires product information given to a product to be purchased and transports the product to be purchased. The mobile body includes a cart body, an acquisition device, and a holder. The cart body is moved to transport the product. The acquisition device acquires the product information. The holder detachably holds the acquisition device.

A handcart includes a cart frame, a caster, and a code reader. The cart frame includes a receiving portion on which a shopping basket is placeable and a lateral portion extending in a width direction of the cart frame. The caster is disposed at a bottom region of the cart frame. The code reader is attached to the lateral portion of the cart frame so as to be rotatable around the lateral portion. The code reader may be rotated around the lateral portion of the cart frame to a first position at which a reading window of the code reader faces an inner space of the shopping basket on the receiving portion of the cart frame, and to a second position at which the reading window of the code reader faces a front of the cart frame.

A multimedia operating station for automatic machine operators including a carriage movable on wheels on a treadable surface and supporting a vertical frame having a first, lower, portion, and a second, upper, portion; a screen for displaying graphics and data associated with the second portion of the frame; a unit for processing graphics and data relating to the components and to the operating systems of the automatic machine and positioned on the first portion of the frame and connected to the screen; a device for introducing commands to the unit for processing graphics and data positioned on the first portion of the frame and connected to the unit for processing graphics and data; an autonomous electricity supply unit positioned in the first portion of the frame and powering at least the screen and the processing unit.

A handcart includes a cart frame having a receiving portion on which a shopping basket is placeable and a handle portion, a caster disposed at a bottom region of the cart frame, a display mounting arm adjacent to the handle portion and extending upward from the cart frame, and a display device attached to an upper end of the display mounting arm. The display mounting arm is movable to position the display device at a location that is shifted to a left or a right side with respect to a center of the cart frame in a width direction thereof.

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 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.

Novel security clearance delivery assistance system for healthcare providers working in hospitals nationwide that improves patient care by reducing or eliminating the amount of time needlessly wasted by manually presenting security clearance smart cards to the security reader for authentication while transporting patients across hospitals. In life or death situations, which occur routinely in hospitals, quick delivery of patients to destinations such as the operating room could mean life or death. A health care professional's ability to save lives may depend in part on their ability to quickly transport patients through secured areas, which currently require the transporter to stop and authenticate at each doorway. With the likelihood of survival decreasing exponentially as time passes, reducing or eliminating interruptions during transportation will enable healthcare providers more time to perform life saving procedures and dramatically increase the likelihood of survival.

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.