Abstract:
This disclosure describes a system and method for determining the center of gravity of a payload engaged by an automated aerial vehicle and adjusting components of the automated aerial vehicle and/or the engagement location with the payload so that the center of gravity of the payload is within a defined position with respect to the center of gravity of the automated aerial vehicle. Adjusting the center of gravity to be within a defined position improves the efficiency, maneuverability and safety of the automated aerial vehicle. In some implementations, the stability of the payload may also be determined to ensure that the center of gravity does not change or shift during transport due to movement of an item of the payload.
Abstract:
An unmanned vehicle determines how to perform a task based at least in part on a message received from another unmanned vehicle. At a later time, the unmanned vehicle detects that the other unmanned vehicle has become untrusted. The unmanned vehicle recalculates how to perform the task such that the recalculation is independent of any messages from the other unmanned vehicle. The unmanned vehicle may also transmit messages to other unmanned vehicles to provide notification of untrustworthiness of the other unmanned vehicle.
Abstract:
This disclosure describes a distributed automated mobile vehicle (“automated mobile vehicle”) system for autonomously delivering orders of items to various delivery locations and/or autonomously returning items to a return location. In some implementations, each user may own or be assigned their own automated mobile vehicle that is associated with the user and an automated mobile vehicle control system maintained by the user. When the user orders an item, the user owned or controlled automated mobile vehicle navigates to a materials handling facility, retrieves the ordered item and delivers it to the user.
Abstract:
Techniques for managing and discovering data using visual or audible representations may be provided. The data, in some examples, may correspond with individual items, and the system may correlate each item with a representation of the item (e.g., for navigation, for accessibility, etc.). The representations may be provided to allow discovery of the items in response to adjusting the resolution, audibly requesting information, or panning across a display to discover items that are displayed as these representations outside of the original presentation of representations. In some examples, the representation of the item may not be unique to the item or may be represented as a placeholder image or description. The higher the resolution, the more detail about the item may be provided. When an item is selected, item data may be provided that corresponds with the item.
Abstract:
Systems and methods are provided herein for operating a conveyance system (e.g., a conveyor belt, tilt plane, robotic arm) of a mobile drive unit (MDU) independent of the MDU's navigation system. The MDU may be configured to obtain, convey, and deliver items within the workspace. Navigation information related to navigating the MDU within a workspace may be obtained. Operations of a navigational system of the MDU may be performed to move the MDU to various locations within the workspace in accordance with the navigation information. Conveyance information related to physically obtaining and/or delivering an item within the workspace may be obtained by the MDU (e.g., via conveyance-related fiducial markers and/or sensors of the MDU). At least one operation of a conveyance system of the MDU may be executed which may cause the item to be physically relocated based at least in part on the conveyance information.
Abstract:
Aspects of modular airborne delivery are described. When a shipping container is provided to an airborne carrier for delivery, the airborne carrier may assess weather across a route for airborne delivery of the shipping container, evaluate an approach to drop the shipping container at a delivery zone, and calculate a remaining amount of time until a target delivery time, for example. The airborne carrier may then select components to assemble a modular unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on those or other factors, and assemble the UAV using the selected components. The modular UAV may then be directed to deliver the shipping container according to instructions from the airborne carrier. According to the concepts described herein, flexibility and other advantages may be achieved using modular UAVs for airborne delivery.
Abstract:
Methods and systems for implementing dynamic rate adjustment for interaction monitoring are disclosed. At an entity, the collection of trace information is initiated according to a first sampling rate. The trace information is indicative of interactions between the entity and one or more additional entities. A second sampling rate is determined based at least in part on information external to the entity. The second sampling rate is determined after the collection of the trace information is initiated at the entity according to the first sampling rate. At the entity, the collection of additional trace information is initiated according to the second sampling rate.
Abstract:
A resource delivery network and method for distributing content in the network is disclosed herein. The network comprises a plurality of servers arranged in tiers and partitioned. Each server includes a resource store with a set of resources for distribution to a successive tier. Updates to each successive tier are provided by a pull-forward client on servers in the tier. This forward propagation mechanism maximizes resource availability at edge servers in the network. Resources transmitted to the edge tier servers may be transformed, combined, and rendered without taxing lower tier servers. Transformation and pre-rendering of data can be performed by low priority CPU tasks at each layer of the system.
Abstract:
Recent location and control information received from “lead” vehicles that traveled over a segment of land, sea, or air is captured to inform, via aggregated data, subsequent “trailing” vehicles that travel over that same segment of land, sea, or air. The aggregated data may provide the trailing vehicles with annotated road information that identifies obstacles. In some embodiments, at least some sensor control data may be provided to the subsequent vehicles to assist those vehicles in identifying the obstacles and/or performing other tasks. Besides, obstacles, the location and control information may enable determining areas traveled by vehicles that are not included in conventional maps, as well as vehicle actions associated with particular locations, such as places where vehicles park or make other maneuvers.
Abstract:
A system and method for operating an automated aerial vehicle are provided wherein influences of ground effects (e.g., which may increase the effective thrusts of propellers by interfering with the respective airflows) are utilized for sensing the ground or other surfaces. In various implementations, operating parameters of the automated aerial vehicle are monitored to determine when ground effects are influencing the parameters associated with each of the propellers, which correspondingly indicate proximities to a surface (e.g., the ground). Utilizing such techniques, different propellers of an automated aerial vehicle may provide different sensing data (e.g., for detecting issues with an uneven landing area, a sloped ground, determining an automated aerial vehicle's location based on a unique ground surface profile, etc.)