A robotic work tool system (200) for defining a working area perimeter (105). The robotic work tool system (200) comprises a robotic work tool (100) and a controller (210). The robotic work tool (100) comprises a position unit (175) and a sensor unit (170). The controller (210) is configured to receive, from the sensor unit (170), edge data indicating whether the robotic work tool (100) is located next to a physical edge (430). The controller (210) is further configured to control the robotic work tool (100) to travel along the physical edge (430) while the edge data indicating that the robotic work tool (100) is located next to the physical edge (430) and to receive, from the position unit (175), position data while the robotic work tool (100) is in motion. The controller (210) is configured to determine, based on the edge data and position data, positions representing the physical edge (430) and to define, based on the determined positions, at least a portion of the working area perimeter (105).

A method for operating a robotic work tool (1) comprising a sensor for detecting a boundary wire (3) demarcating a work area (2). The method comprises the steps of detecting (9) at least a partial crossing of the boundary wire (3), allowing (12) a crossing of the boundary wire (3) by an offset, switching (8) between a first offset setting and at least a second offset setting of the work tool (1) based on one or more events (7). A robotic work tool (1) comprises a controller for controlling the operation of the robotic working tool (1). The controller is configured to: control the work tool (1) to operate within the work area (2), determine whether the work tool (1) crosses the boundary wire (3), allow a crossing of the wire (3) by the offset, and switch (8) between at least two offset settings stored in the work tool (1).

A transit system includes a road, a plurality of pavement markers spaced apart along a lane line of the road, and a plurality of RF devices carried by the pavement markers. The RF devices are configured to transmit RF navigation signals to motor vehicles traveling along the road.

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.

A method of controlling a guide machine and a navigation system. The navigation system includes: a plurality of signal sources deployed in a predetermined area; a guide machine including a signal receiver arranged to receive electromagnetic signals emitted from one or more of the plurality of signal sources; and a processor arranged to process the electromagnetic signals to identify the locations of the signal sources, and thereby to determine a current position of the guide machine with reference to the locations of the signal sources; and the processor is further arranged to determine a path for the guide machine to travel from the current position to a destination location in the predetermined area.

There is described a method of operating a distribution system. The distribution system comprises a number of carriers wherein the carriers are adapted to carry one or more goods. A transport plane of the distribution system supports the carriers. A control device controls the drive means. During an initialization of the distribution system the control device pre-defines a pattern of safe points on the transport plane, wherein on the safe points a carrier can be placed. After the initialization of the distribution system the control device calculates partial routes for the carriers so that the end position of each partial route is either one of the safe points or has a free path to one of the safe points to be reachable in the next partial route.

An automatic storage and retrieval system includes: a delivery vehicle; a storage container carried by the delivery vehicle; and an unloading station for unloading an item from the storage container while it is being carried by the delivery vehicle. The unloading station includes: an unloading device; and a destination conveyor configured to convey the item to a target destination, wherein the unloading device is configured to move the item through a side opening of the storage container to the destination conveyor.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a grid-based rail structure and a plurality of remotely operated vehicles arranged to operate on the grid-based rail structure. The automated storage and retrieval system includes a locking device arranged in a zone of the grid-based rail structure where a human and/or a robotic operator is permitted to interact with the remotely operated vehicle or contents of a storage container that the remotely operated vehicle is carrying. The locking device is arranged to lock the remotely operated vehicle against accidental displacement prior to interaction with the human and/or robotic operator, and wherein the locking device being arranged to unlock the remotely operated vehicle once interaction with the human and/or robotic operator is no longer required.

A localization and attitude estimation method using magnetic fields includes the following steps. First, in three-dimensional coordinates, at least three magnetic landmarks arbitrarily disposed around a moving carrier are selected, wherein any two of the at least three magnetic landmarks have different magnetic directions. One set of at least five tri-axes magnetic sensors is used to sense the magnetic fields of the at least three magnetic landmarks. Three magnetic components on three axes of a current position of each of the tri-axes magnetic sensors are respectively generated by a demagnetization method. Five non-linear magnetic equations are solved to obtain position information and magnetic moment information of the at least three magnetic landmarks in the three-dimensional coordinates. Position vectors and attitude vectors of the set of at least five tri-axes magnetic sensors in a three-dimensional space are estimated based on tri-axes magnetic moment vectors of the magnetic landmarks.

A pallet position detection apparatus is provided. The detection apparatus and method checks information on a pallet disposed on a vehicle by recognizing an Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag or a Quick Response (QR) code attached to the truck, and recognizes an exact position of the pallet by detecting a reflector positioned on the pallet by a Lidar sensor, and unloads the pallet from the truck using an unmanned forklift vehicle based on the recognized position of the pallet.