Crown Equipment Corporation

Auckland Uniservices Limited

Cirrus Materials Science Ltd

Christopher William Goode

Andrew Evan Graham

Lisa Wong

Lucas B Waltz

Fengyan Hou

Matthew Edwin Laws

Toby Hartnoll Joshua Collett

Ian John Mardon

Yuxin Wang

Bo Hu

Junzhe Dong

Toby Hartnoll Collett

In example implementations, a method for coloring an alloy is provided. The method includes anodizing a substrate in an anodizing bath comprising phosphoric acid, at a constant temperature and a constant voltage for a first time period to develop an anodizing layer that includes a barrier layer, reducing the constant voltage applied to the anodizing bath for a second time period to change a thickness of the barrier layer and change a width of pores in the anodizing layer, plating the substrate in a plating bath at a first current that is increased over a third time period in accordance with a current profile of the plating bath, and plating the substrate in the plating bath at a second current for a fourth time period.

Method to apply color coatings on alloys

A method and apparatus for using unique landmarks to position industrial vehicles during start-up. In one embodiment, a method of using pre-positioned objects as landmarks to operate an industrial vehicle is provided. The method comprises identifying a start-up scenario from sensor data, wherein the start-up scenario comprises a unique marker start-up or a pre-positioned object start-up. in response to the identified start-up scenario, either a unique marker or pre-positioned object is identified within a physical environment, wherein the pre-positioned object or unique marker corresponds with a sub-area of the physical environment. The industrial vehicle pose is determined in response to the identity of the pre-positioned object or unique marker and the industrial vehicle is operated based on the determined industrial vehicle pose.

Systems and methods for pose development using retrieved position of a pallet or product load to be picked up

In example implementations, a method for producing a thin film coating is provided. The method includes pre-treating a substrate, placing the substrate in a bath comprising at least phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid to produce a thin anodized layer, rinsing the thin anodized layer in a solution, plating a surface of the thin anodized layer in an electro deposition bath following a plating current profile for a predetermined period, and increasing the plating current to the recommended bath plating current to produce the thin film coating having a desired initial coating thickness.

Method to create thin functional coatings on light alloys

Method and apparatus for using unique landmarks to locate industrial vehicles at start-up

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of using dynamically placed pre-positioned objects as landmarks to operate an industrial vehicle is provided. The method comprises (i) transporting an object along a path within the physical environment and placing the object at a location within the physical environment such that the placed object becomes a dynamically placed pre-positioned object in the physical environment; (ii) updating a map of the physical environment by adding placed object data representing the dynamically placed pre-positioned object to the map of the physical environment to create updated map data such that the placed object, when added to the map, serves as a landmark with observable features and can be used in the navigation of an industrial vehicle with access to the updated map data; (iii) storing the updated map data on a mobile computer attached to the industrial vehicle or on a central computer coupled to the industrial vehicle via a network; and (iv) operating the industrial vehicle based on a navigational position determined from sensor data and the updated map data by navigating the industrial vehicle along a path within the physical environment.

Method and apparatus for using pre-positioned objects to localize an industrial vehicle

A method and apparatus for providing accurate localization for an industrial vehicle is described; including processing at least one sensor input message from a plurality of sensor devices, wherein the at least one sensor input message includes information regarding observed environmental features; determining position measurements associated with the industrial vehicle in response to at least one sensor input message, wherein the plurality of sensor devices comprises a two-dimensional laser scanner, and at least one other sensor device selected from an odometer, an ultrasonic sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an inertial measurement unit, or an imaging sensor; and updating a vehicle state using the position measurements.

Method and apparatus for providing accurate localization for an industrial vehicle

A method and apparatus for sharing map data between industrial vehicles in a physical environment is described. In one embodiments, the method includes processing local map data associated with a plurality of industrial vehicles, wherein the local map data comprises feature information generated by the plurality of industrial vehicles regarding features observed by industrial vehicles in the plurality of vehicles; combining the feature information associated with local map data to generate global map data for the physical environment; and navigating an industrial vehicle of the plurality of industrial vehicles using at least a portion of the global map data.

Method and apparatus for sharing map data associated with automated industrial vehicles

A method and apparatus for facilitating map data processing for industrial vehicle navigation is described. In one embodiment, the method of partitioning map data for industrial vehicle navigation includes segmenting map data associated with a physical environment into a plurality of sub-area maps, identifying a sub-area map that corresponds with a current vehicle location and navigating an industrial vehicle using the identified sub-area map.

Method and apparatus for facilitating map data processing for industrial vehicle navigation

A method and apparatus for automatically calibrating vehicle parameters is described. In one embodiment, the method includes measuring a parameter value during vehicle operation; comparing the measured parameter value to an actual parameter value to identify at least one vehicle parameter bias as an actual measurement error; and modifying at least one vehicle parameter based on the at least one vehicle parameter bias.

Method and apparatus for automatically calibrating vehicle parameters

A method and apparatus for simulating a physical environment to facilitate vehicle operation and task completion is described. In one embodiment, the method includes processing data that is transmitted from a sensor array comprising a plurality of devices, wherein the plurality of devices are placed throughout a physical environment that comprises a plurality of objects, accessing model information associated with the plurality of objects, wherein the model information indicates at least one physical attribute associated with each of the plurality of objects, correlating the model information with the transmitted data from the sensor array to produce a correlation result, generating at least one visual representation of the physical environment from at least one viewpoint based on the correlation result and identifying at least one obstruction, within the physical environment, using the at least one visual representation.

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Auckland, New Zealand

Christopher William Goode