G05D1/646

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for dynamic filtering of high intensity broadband electromagnetic waves from image data from a sensor coupled to a robot
11865731 · 2024-01-09 · ·

Systems, apparatuses, and methods for dynamic filtering of high intensity broadband electromagnetic waves in image data from a sensor of a robot are disclosed herein. According to at least one non-limiting exemplary embodiment, sunlight or light emitted from nearby fluorescent lamps may cause a robot to generate false positives of objects nearby the robot as the light may be of high intensity and large bandwidth. These false positives may cause a robot to get stuck or navigate without use of a camera sensor, which may be unsafe.

Method for controlling the operation of an attachment
11864482 · 2024-01-09 · ·

A method for controlling the operation of an attachment includes coupling the attachment to a tractor via a power lift comprising two lower link arms and detecting a pull point as a geometrical intersection of imaginary extensions of both lower link arms based on reference angles. The method further includes determining the reference angles by an optical capture of the lower link arms, and controlling the operation based on the detected pull point.

Delivery system with an access point and a method of accessing an access point of the delivery system
11873014 · 2024-01-16 · ·

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a storage grid for storage of storage containers and a delivery system for transport of said storage containers between a delivery port of the storage grid and an access point of the delivery system. The access point is adapted for handling of items held in the storage containers by a robotic operator or human operator. The delivery system includes a delivery rail system including at least a first set of parallel rails arranged in a horizontal plane (P1) and extending in a first direction (X), and at least a second set of parallel rails arranged in the horizontal plane (P1) and extending in a second direction (Y) which is orthogonal to the first direction (X), the first and second sets of rails together defining a delivery grid of delivery grid cells, the access point, and a remotely operated delivery vehicle comprising a motorized vehicle body and a container carrier provided above the motorized vehicle body for carrying a storage container of the storage containers. The delivery vehicle is moveable on the delivery grid of the delivery rail system. The delivery grid provides one or more delivery grid cells for the remotely operated delivery vehicle at the access point as well as a plurality of delivery grid cells adjacent the one or more delivery grid cells of the access point, such that there is more than one path to and/or from the access point for the remotely operated delivery vehicle via the plurality of delivery grid cells. The remotely operated delivery vehicle is arranged to transport the storage container from the delivery port of the storage grid across the delivery grid to the access point and return the storage container to the delivery port for storage within the storage grid. The access point is provided in a container accessing station, said station being arranged for separating the robotic or human operator from the delivery rail system and the remotely operated delivery vehicle. The container accessing station comprises a cabinet comprising walls and a top cover supported thereon, wherein the items held in the storage container carried by a remotely operated delivery vehicle at the access point is reachable through an opening in the top cover.

V2X information elements for maneuver and path planning

Techniques disclosed provide for enhanced V2X communications by defining information Elements (IE) for V2X messaging between V2X entities. For a transmitting vehicle that sends a V2X message to a receiving vehicle, these IEs are indicative of a detected vehicle model type detected by the transmitting vehicle of a detected vehicle; a pitch rate of the transmitting vehicle, a detected vehicle, or a detected object; a roll rate of the transmitting vehicle, a detected vehicle, or a detected object; a yaw rate of a detected vehicle, or a detected object; a pitch rate confidence; a roll rate confidence; an indication of whether a rear brake light of a detected vehicle is on; or an indication of whether a turning signal of a detected vehicle is on; or any combination thereof. With this information, the receiving vehicle is able to make more intelligent maneuvers than otherwise available through traditional V2X messaging.

Mobile motorized cargo container with selectively deployable control systems
11873176 · 2024-01-16 ·

An Urban Intermodal Freight System is capable of transporting large volumes and tonnage of freight by containerized or other means on a mass transit rail system. It captures excess capacity in the existing mass transit rail infrastructure to move packages, parcels, and freight by using miniaturized intermodal cargo containers that are designed to integrate seamlessly with the existing transit infrastructure, while displacing delivery trucks from increasingly crowded city streets. By enabling inbound trucks to transfer their cargo to the Urban Intermodal Freight System at a city's outskirts, freight is delivered without trucks entering congested downtown areas, greatly alleviating traffic congestion, delays, greenhouse gas emissions and other negative environmental impacts. The Linear Loading Dock and Conveyor System may have other useful applications, for example to access a facility, building or vehicle, or in other circumstances where off street truck parking or loading docks are not available.

Self-occlusion masks to improve self-supervised monocular depth estimation in multi-camera settings

A method for self-supervised depth and ego-motion estimation is described. The method includes determining a multi-camera photometric loss associated with a multi-camera rig of an ego vehicle. The method also includes generating a self-occlusion mask by manually segmenting self-occluded areas of images captured by the multi-camera rig of the ego vehicle. The method further includes multiplying the multi-camera photometric loss with the self-occlusion mask to form a self-occlusion masked photometric loss. The method also includes training a depth estimation model and an ego-motion estimation model according to the self-occlusion masked photometric loss. The method further includes predicting a 360 point cloud of a scene surrounding the ego vehicle according to the depth estimation model and the ego-motion estimation model.

System and method for coordinating collaborative sensor calibration
11875682 · 2024-01-16 · ·

The present teaching relates to method, system, medium, and implementations for sensor calibration. A request is received from an ego vehicle in motion for assistance in collaborative calibration, when the ego vehicle determines that a sensor deployed thereon needs to be calibrated. The request includes at least one of a first position of the ego vehicle and a first configuration of the sensor with respect to the ego vehicle. An assisting vehicle is identified based on the first position, the first configuration, and a second position associated with the assisting vehicle and an assistance plan is generated in response to the request indicative of the assisting vehicle to travel to the ego vehicle to facilitate the calibration of the sensor by collaborating with the moving ego vehicle. Such generated assistance plan is then sent out to initiate the collaborative calibration.

Positioning of mobile object in underground worksite

A method for positioning a mobile object in an underground tunnel includes the steps of determining horizontal progression of a mobile object in an underground tunnel from a preceding position estimate or an initial position of the mobile object; determining horizontal position of the mobile object on the basis of a floor model of the tunnel and the estimated horizontal progression of the mobile object; and generating a three-dimensional position indicator on the basis of the horizontal position of the mobile object and a three-dimensional model of the tunnel.

Autonomous vehicle application

Methods and systems for communicating between autonomous vehicles are described herein. Such communication may be performed for signaling, collision avoidance, path coordination, and/or autonomous control. A computing device may receive data for the same road segment from autonomous vehicles, including (i) an indication of a location within the road segment, and (ii) an indication of a condition of the road segment. The computing device may generate, from the data for the same road segment, an overall indication of the condition of the road segment, which may include a recommendation to vehicles approaching the road segment. Additionally, the computing device may receive a request from a computing device within a vehicle approaching the road segment to display vehicle data. The overall indication for the road segment may then be displayed on a user interface of the computing device.

Fastest lane determination algorithm under traffic jam
11880201 · 2024-01-23 · ·

A method, apparatus, and system for determining average lane travel speeds is disclosed. A plurality of vehicles traveling in a same direction as the ADV in a plurality of lanes are identified. Over a first time period, the plurality of vehicles is tracked. At least a first quantity of representative vehicles within the plurality of vehicles that are representative of vehicles traveling in the lane over the first time period are identified. For each of the plurality of lanes, an average speed over the first time period of the representative vehicles associated with the lane is determined. A trajectory is planned for the ADV, wherein the planned trajectory moves toward a lane whose representative vehicles have a fastest average speed. Thereafter, control signals are generated to control operations of the ADV based on the planned trajectory.