A method for the optimized use of a parking area. Vehicles which are to be parked on the parking area are each assigned a parking space, the vehicles navigating to the respective assigned parking space, in particular autonomously. Furthermore, vehicles may carry out a change of the parking space in order to enable an improved use of the available parking area or a faster availability of the vehicle, whereby overall an optimized use of the parking area is achieved. Initially, an available range of the respective vehicles is ascertained, and the assignment of the respective parking space and/or a possible change of the parking space are made dependent on the available range of the individual vehicles. The available range of a vehicle is in particular described by a residual fuel amount or a charge state of the vehicle.

The invention discloses a method, system and related device of implementing vehicle automatic loading and unloading, so as to achieve the automatic loading and unloading of the unmanned vehicle. The method includes: controlling, by a vehicle controller, a vehicle to drive automatically and stop at a loading and unloading position; obtaining, by a loading and unloading control apparatus corresponding to the loading and unloading position, vehicle identification information of the vehicle; verifying the vehicle identification information and controlling a loading and unloading machine to load and unload when the verification succeeds; sending a loading and unloading completion indication to the vehicle controller after the loading and unloading is completed; and controlling, by the vehicle controller, the vehicle to leave the loading and unloading position when receiving the loading and unloading completion indication.

The disclosure relates to a moving apparatus for cleaning, a collaborative cleaning system, and a method of controlling the same, the moving apparatus for cleaning including: a cleaner configured to perform cleaning; a traveler configured to move the moving apparatus; a communicator configured to communicate with an external apparatus; and a processor configured to identify an individual cleaning region corresponding to the moving apparatus among a plurality of individual cleaning regions assigned to the moving apparatus and at least one different moving apparatus based on current locations throughout a whole cleaning region, based on information received through the communicator, and control the traveler and the cleaner to travel and clean the identified individual cleaning region. Thus, the individual cleaning regions are assigned based on the location information about the plurality of cleaning robots, and a collaborative clean is efficiently carried out with a total shortened cleaning time.

The technology relates to autonomous vehicles having hitched or towed trailers for transporting cargo and other items between locations. Aspects of the technology provide a smart hitch connection between the fifth-wheel of a tractor unit and the kingpin of a trailer. This avoids requiring a person to make physical pneumatic and electrical connections between the fifth-wheel and kingpin using external hoses and cables. Instead, the necessary connections are made internally, autonomously. For instance, the fifth-wheel may provide air pressure via one or more slots arranged on a connection surface, and the trailer is configured to receive the air pressure through one or more openings on a contact surface of the kingpin. An electrical connection section of the fifth-wheel may also provide electrical signals and/or power to an electrical contact interface of the kingpin. Rotational information about relative alignment of the trailer to the tractor unit may also be provided.

Disclosed are a material pushing robot (1), a material pushing system, and a material pushing management method. The material pushing system comprises at least one material pushing robot (1), at least one energy charging device (2) and a management unit (3), wherein the management unit (3) comprises a detection module (301), a processing module (302) and a control module (303); the processing module (302) is communicatively connected to the detection module (301) and the control module (303); the material pushing robot (1) and the energy charging device (2) are controllably connected to the management unit (3) respectively; when the material pushing robot (1) needs to be subjected to energy charging, the detection module (301) detects surrounding environment information so as to acquire at least one visual identifier (S); the processing module (302) generates a navigation instruction on the basis of the visual identifier (S) and sends the navigation instruction to the control module (303); and the control module (303) controls, on the basis of the navigation instruction, the material pushing robot (1) and the energy charging device (2) to meet, so as to charge energy for the material pushing robot (1).

A self-moving device, including: a moving module, a task execution module, a control module. The control module is electrically connected to the moving module and the task execution module, controls the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to move, controls the task execution module to execute a working task. The self-moving device further includes a satellite navigation apparatus, electrically connected to the control module and configured to receive a satellite signal and output current location information of the self-moving device. The control module determines whether quality of location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus at a current location satisfies a preset condition, controls, if the quality does not satisfy the preset condition, the moving module to actuate the self-moving device to change a moving manner, to enable quality of location information output by the satellite navigation apparatus at a location after the movement to satisfy the preset condition.

Embodiments of present disclosure relate to a receiving station, an automatic guided vehicle (AGV), a pallet for use therewith, a conveying system, and a method for conveyance control. The receiving station comprises a carriage adapted to hook a pallet. The receiving station further comprises linear drive equipment operable to move the carriage in a first direction away from an AGV to load the pallet from the AGV or move the carriage in a second direction opposite to the first direction towards the AGV to unload the pallet onto the AGV, wherein the AGV stops near the receiving station, and wherein the carriage hooks the pallet during the movement of the carriage such that the pallet is moved along with the carriage.

A system of robotic cleaning devices and a method of a master robotic cleaning device of controlling at least one slave robotic cleaning device. The method performed by a master robotic cleaning device of controlling at least one slave robotic cleaning device includes detecting obstacles, deriving positional data from the detection of obstacles, positioning the master robotic cleaning device with respect to the detected obstacles from the derived positional data, controlling movement of the master robotic cleaning device based on the positional data, and submitting commands to the at least one slave robotic cleaning device to control a cleaning operation of said at least one slave robotic cleaning device, the commands being based on the derived positional data, wherein the cleaning operation of the slave robotic cleaning device is controlled as indicated by the submitted commands.

The invention relates to method of operating a fleet of autonomous vehicles at a work site having a loading area at which a loading device is provided for loading material onto said autonomous vehicles. The method includes controlling a first vehicle to drive in a first driving mode until it reaches a start position of the loading area, deactivating the first driving mode by controlling the first vehicle to be positioned in the loading area in a second driving mode, controlling a second vehicle to come into contact with and to push the first vehicle along the loading area and past the loading device for loading material onto the first vehicle as the first vehicle passes by the loading device, and reactivating the first driving mode of the first vehicle when the second vehicle has pushed the first vehicle to an end position of the loading area.

A robotic vehicle (10) charging station (40) may include a charge interface configured to charge a battery (210) of a robotic vehicle (10) responsive to docking of the robotic vehicle (10) at the charging station (40), and a mixing assembly (240) configured to facilitate mixing a solid material and a liquid to form an aqueous solution for provision to a storage tank (14) of the robotic vehicle.