A method for determining if a user's gaze is directed in the direction of a zone of interest in a 3D scene comprises: providing a 3D scene containing a zone of interest; associating a property with the zone of interest; creating a bitmap representing the location of the zone of interest in a projected view of the 3D scene, each pixel of the bitmap to which the zone of interest is projected storing the property of the zone of interest; detecting the direction of the user's gaze; using the bitmap to determine if the detected user's gaze is directed in the direction of the zone of interest.

An autonomous moving apparatus control system including a range sensor, a reflection plate, and a control unit. The range sensor is installed in a cage of an elevator and detects a distance to an object by receiving reflected light of signal light applied to the object. The reflection plate is disposed in an elevator hall of a floor on which the elevator stops, and reflects the signal light. The control unit determines whether or not a mobile robot, which is an autonomous moving apparatus, can get on and off the elevator based on a detected distance, the detected distance being a distance to the reflection plate detected by the range sensor.

A conveyance robot includes a main body at which a conveyed object can be placed; a driving wheel provided at the main body; a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to control the driving wheel such that a progress direction of the conveyance robot is configured to match an extension direction of a running path guide portion, the running path guide portion extending along a running path that is along a wall face of a wall disposed in a building.

A driving assistance device includes a guide line detecting unit configured to detect the guide line, a remaining distance acquiring unit configured to acquire a remaining distance to the scheduled stop position, and a braking control unit configured to control deceleration of a vehicle. The guide line detecting unit detects a base-point mark, a curvature of the guide line, and a curvature feature point. The remaining distance acquiring unit acquires the remaining distance on the basis of the position of the base-point mark when the guide line detecting unit has detected the base-point mark, and acquires the remaining distance on the basis of the position of the curvature feature point when the guide line detecting unit has not detect the base-point mark and has detected the curvature feature point.

A system and method for a motorized mobile chair using a plurality of sensors having a plurality of sensor types to detect a plurality of objects and generate sensor data about the detected objects, each of the detected objects being a person, the sensor data about the objects comprising a plurality of range measurements to the people and a plurality of bearing measurements to the people. The system has at least one processor to receive the sensor data about the people, group the detected people into a plurality of zones, determine a closest person in each zone, and generate one or more control signals to cause the motorized mobile chair to match a speed and a direction of the closest person in the zone corresponding to a direction of travel of the motorized mobile chair while at least approximately maintaining a selected space to the closest person in the zone corresponding to the direction of travel of the motorized mobile chair.

A method for estimating a location of a mobile robot in an area, the area having multiple passive beacons, the method including capturing images by an image sensor of the mobile robot, where the multiple passive beacons have substantially identical patterns, identifying patterns of at least one passive beacon of the multiple passive beacons from the captured images, selecting a specific passive beacon of the multiple passive beacons to estimate a location of the mobile robot, extracting the mobile robot's location from the location of the specific passive beacon, computing the mobile robot's direction by a pattern of the specific passive beacon.

A mobile robot includes at least two first reflection parts, each of the at least two first reflection parts having a first reflection surface on a side surface thereof, the first reflection surface being configured to reflect electromagnetic waves. For each of the at least two first reflection parts: a cross-sectional shape obtained by being cut in a first direction perpendicular to a reference axis is symmetrical and continuous with respect to points passing through the reference axis, the first direction being parallel to a top surface of the first reflection part or a bottom surface of the first reflection part; and a reflection surface angle defined by the points passing through the reference axis and both ends of the first reflection surface is 90 degrees or more to 360 degrees or less when the first reflection part is viewed along the reference axis.

A system and method for a motorized mobile chair use a plurality of sensors having a plurality of sensor types to detect a plurality of objects and generate sensor data about the detected objects, each of the detected objects being a person, the sensor data about the objects comprising a plurality of range measurements to the people and a plurality of bearing measurements to the people. The system has at least one processor to receive the sensor data about the people, group the detected people into a plurality of zones, determine a closest person in each zone, and generate one or more control signals to cause the motorized mobile chair to match a speed and a direction of the closest person in the zone corresponding to a direction of travel of the motorized mobile chair while at least approximately maintaining a selected space to the closest person in the zone corresponding to the direction of travel of the motorized mobile chair.

The disclosed technology relates to a method and system for localizing and confining an autonomous mobile work system or systems for performing work in a user defined space is disclosed. The system can include two or more variable reflective base stations at first and second locations that can modify their optical or electromagnetic reflectivity based upon either an external command via wired or wireless communications interface, or automatically on a regular or asynchronous time schedule under programmed or user settable control. The system also can include one or more autonomous mobile work systems capable of sensing the state of the variable reflectance base stations via sensors such as electromagnetic or optical sensors capable of measuring distance to the reflective base stations.

Method and vehicle for tracking the position of a remotely operated vehicle following a set route relative to tracks laid out on a frame structure forming a grid, the vehicle having first and second sets of wheels connected to drives for moving the vehicle in corresponding x- and y-directions on the grid, the method comprising: receiving information of the number of track crossings to pass between start and stop positions in x- and y-directions according to the set route; directing sensors attached to the vehicle at the tracks along the route of the vehicle; detecting and monitoring track crossings passed when moving the vehicle in the x- and y-directions according to the set route, and transmitting a signal to a controller, controlling the drives of the wheels of the vehicle, when the number of track crossings passed is close to the total number of track crossings to pass between the start and stop positions in respective x- and y-directions along the set route.