Abstract:
Systems and methods for aligning a towing vehicle trailer hitch with the tongue of a trailer/towed vehicle are provided that enable a driver to know when the towing vehicle trailer hitch is close enough to the trailer tongue such that the two can be coupled. A trailer hitch includes a tow bar having a free end configured to be coupled to a trailer tongue. An alignment system includes at least one energy emitter secured to the vehicle that emits energy in the direction of the trailer tongue, and at least two sensors secured to the vehicle in spaced-apart relationship. The energy emitter(s) and sensors may be secured to the trailer or trailer hitch.
Abstract:
A robot configured to navigate a surface, the robot comprising a movement mechanism; a logical map representing data about the surface and associating locations with one or more properties observed during navigation; an initialization module configured to establish an initial pose comprising an initial location and an initial orientation; a region covering module configured to cause the robot to move so as to cover a region; an edge- following module configured to cause the robot to follow unfollowed edges; a control module configured to invoke region covering on a first region defined at least in part based at least part of the initial pose, to invoke region covering on least one additional region, to invoke edge-following, and to invoke region covering cause the mapping module to mark followed edges as followed, and cause a third region covering on regions discovered during edge-following.
Abstract:
A multi-plane scanner support system includes a bracket and a mirror block. The bracket is configured to be secured in a fixed orientation with respect to a scanner. And the mirror block is arranged to receive a scanning signal from the scanner and to reflect the scanning signal into a plurality of directions to create multiple scanning planes. The scanner can be a laser scanner. The scanner and multi-plane scanner support system can be attached to a material transport vehicle, for example, to provide safety functions. The vehicle can be manned or unmanned.
Abstract:
A roadway system (10) for a vehicle (13) and a method for testing a vehicle (13) on a roadway system (10) are provided. The roadway system (10) and/or method include a platform (16) having at least one movable endless belt (22) configured to support a vehicle (13). A sensor assembly (36; 42; 44) is configured to provide an output signal indicative of position, displacement, velocity and/or acceleration of the vehicle (13) on the belt (22) with respect to at least one reference axis. An autopilot system (28; 40) is configured to operate a component of the vehicle (13) to control the vehicle (13) on the belt (22) with respect to the reference axis based on the output signal.
Abstract:
A system (24) is provided for positioning a work implement (20). The system has at least one actuator (32, 34, 54) for actuating a movement of a work implement. The. system also has at least one sensor (68) associated with the at least one actuator and configured to sense at least one parameter indicative of a position and an orientation of the work implement. Furthermore, the system has a controller (74) configured to automatically create a travel path for the work implement and guide the work implement in response to the data- received from the at least one sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to automatically modify the travel path when detecting an imminent collision between the work implement (20) and an obstacle.
Abstract:
A navigation and control system including a sensor configured to locate objects in a predetermined field of view from a vehicle. The sensor has an emitter configured to repeatedly scan a beam into a two-dimensional sector of a plane defined with respect to a firsi predetermined axis of the vehicle, and a detector configured to detect a reflection of the emitted beam from one of the objects. The sensor includes a panning mechanism configured to pan the plaae in which the beam is scanned about a second predetermined axis to produce a three dimensional field of view. The navigation and control system includes a processor configured to determine the existence and location of the objects in the three dimensional field of view based OB a position of the vehicle and a time between an emitted of the beam and a reception of the reflection of the emitted beam from one of the objects.