A mobile object configured for movement in an area equipped with VLC illumination sources comprises a light sensor arranged to detect illumination from at least one of the illumination sources within the view of the light sensor; a computer arranged to determine from the detected illumination (i) a position of the mobile object relative to the at least one illumination source and (ii) the identifier of the at least one illumination source; and a transceiver. The transceiver can receive from another mobile object a message comprising the position of the other mobile object relative to a source of illumination, and the identifier of that source of illumination. From this, the computer determines from its position and the message a distance from the other mobile object. A mobile object which transmits such a message is also envisaged.

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.

Methods and systems for autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle control, routing, and automatic feature adjustment are disclosed. Sensors associated with autonomous operation features may be utilized to search an area for missing persons, stolen vehicles, or similar persons or items of interest. Sensor data associated with the features may be automatically collected and analyzed to passively search for missing persons or vehicles without vehicle operator involvement. Search criteria may be determined by a remote server and communicated to a plurality of vehicles within a search area. In response to which, sensor data may be collected and analyzed by the vehicles. When sensor data generated by a vehicle matches the search criteria, the vehicle may communicate the information to the remote server.

A method for controlling a vehicle based on a prediction from a semantic map is presented. The method includes receiving a snapshot of an environment from one or more sensors. The method also includes generating the semantic map based on the snapshot and predicting an action of a dynamic object in the snapshot based on one or more surrounding objects. The method still further includes controlling an action of the vehicle based on the predicted action.

A method of controlling movement of multi-vehicle includes acquiring a constraint condition under which vehicles move and a calculation cycle for calculating movement routes of the vehicles; acquiring a position of each vehicle; specifying a target position for each vehicle; calculating, based on the position of each vehicle, the target position, and the constraint condition, a movement route for prediction steps of each vehicle; determining, based on the movement routes of the vehicles, a driving condition of each vehicle from a current time to a unit time; and controlling movement of each vehicle. Calculating the movement route including performing optimization calculation based on an evaluation function, evaluation of which becomes higher as a deviation between the vehicle and the target position for each prediction step becomes smaller, and the constraint condition, to calculate the movement route.

A baggage management system includes: a storage rack including a plurality of receptacles shaped and structured to retain one or more baggage items; a baggage transportation system including a plurality of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) configured to transport one or more baggage items between a pick up point, a drop off point, and the storage rack, each AGV including a a wireless communication unit and a controller configured to control movement of the specific AGV based on received control instructions; and a baggage administration server including a processor, a memory unit, and a wireless communication interface, and configured to receive a request to store or retrieve a baggage item from the storage rack, determine the position of the one or more AGVs, identify the one or more AGVs required to either store or retrieve a baggage item as defined in the request, and transmit control instructions to the AGVs.

Provided is an automated guided vehicle that travels on a traveling path by loading at least one of a member required for a production work in which production equipment produces a product and a production tool detachable to the production equipment, and shares at least a portion of the traveling path with another automated guided vehicle, in which a traveling priority is variably set based on a work priority determined from a status of the production work, and when the traveling priority of the automated guided vehicle is higher than the traveling priority of the another automated guided vehicle, the automated guided vehicle is prioritized for traveling on the traveling path.

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 method for operating an automated vehicle includes controlling by one or more computing devices an autonomous vehicle; receiving by one or more computing devices sensor data from the vehicle corresponding to moving objects in a vicinity of the vehicle; receiving by one or more computing devices road condition data; and determining by one or more computing devices undesirable locations related to the moving objects. The undesirable locations related to the moving objects for the vehicle are based at least in part on the road condition data. The step of controlling the vehicle includes avoiding the undesirable locations.

A method and an apparatus for generating sensor data for controlling an autonomous vehicle in an environment is provided, such as driverless transport vehicles in a factory for example. Sensor positions of static sensors and the sensors of autonomous vehicles are defined in a global coordinate system on the basis of an environment model, such as a BIM model for example. Sensor data is centrally generated in this global coordinate system for all sensors as a function of these sensor positions. The sensor data is then transformed into a local coordinate system of an autonomous vehicle and transferred for controlling the autonomous vehicle.