Amazon Technologies, Inc.

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Stephen Charles Paschall, Ii

Justin Croyle

Anatoly Mitlin

Ashish Shah

Shilpi Gupta

Dincer Bozkaya

Fahrudin Alagic

Garrett O Teahan

Described are automated guided vehicles (AGVs) that can autonomously engage and transport a payload carrier in a human collaborative materials handling facility environment. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be deployed in various materials handling facilities (e.g., a sortation facility, a cross dock center, a fulfillment center, a warehouse, a delivery center, etc.) to facilitate efficient and automated transport of a payload carrier, such as a cart, alongside human workers in unstructured, collaborative environments. Further, the exemplary autonomous vehicle of the present disclosure can engage payload carriers (e.g., carts, etc.) in various configurations and orientations to facilitate multiple modes of transport.

Payload transporting autonomous vehicle for unstructured human collaborative environments

Disclosed autonomous mobile robot systems can be used to safely and efficiently navigate through a facility while avoiding objects in the path of the autonomous mobile robot during completion of a task. Specifically, a first bounded area based on first sensor data may be generated around an autonomous mobile robot where the first sensor data is used to identify objects in a travel path for the autonomous mobile robot and determine a speed for navigating the facility. A second bounded area of a size less than the first bounded area may be generated around the autonomous mobile robot based on speed information from propulsion components of the autonomous mobile robot. A new travel path and new speed information may be generated based on identifying an object in the travel path, dimensional measurements of a space around the object, and a current size of the second bounded area.

Dynamic navigation of autonomous vehicle with safety infrastructure

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) having adaptive safety systems may operate individually or as part of a convoy. During individual operations, an AMR may determine a safety zone and stop responsive to detecting an object within the safety zone. During convoy operations, an AMR may selectively mute a portion of the safety zone and allow a forward AMR of a convoy within the portion of the safety zone. In this manner, the adaptive safety systems may enable convoy operations of multiple AMRs with relatively greater density and greater speed, thereby improving speed and efficiency of AMR operations without negatively impacting safety.

Adaptive safety systems for autonomous mobile robots

An autonomous robot system to enable flexible, safe, efficient, and automated movement of goods and materials in a dynamic environment including one or more dynamic objects (e.g., humans). The autonomous robot system includes a modular autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) including a vehicle management system having a safety management system. The safety management system includes one or more safety management controllers to perform safety functions to enable the modular AGV to operate safely and efficiently alongside humans in a dynamic environment (e.g., a warehouse or fulfillment facility).

Autonomous machine safety management in a dynamic environment

Aspects described herein include an autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) for operation within an inventory system of an environment. The ASV includes a drive system, a docking system, a plurality of sensors, and a memory storing a map of the environment. The ASV further includes one or more computer processors configured to (i) detect, using a location sensor, a location of the ASV within the environment; (ii) control the drive system to actuate the ASV toward a corridor defined in the map at a first speed setting; and control the drive system to actuate the ASV through the corridor along at least one barrier defined in the map. A second, greater speed setting is applied when (i) the location sensor indicates that the ASV is within the corridor and (ii) one or more fiducials along the at least one barrier are visually detected by one or more proximity sensors.

Inventory system with high-speed corridors for autonomous surface vehicles

Disclosed autonomous mobile robot systems can be used to safely and efficiently navigate through a facility while avoiding objects in the path of the autonomous mobile robot during completion of a task. Specifically, a safety zone of a first size may be generated around an autonomous mobile robot based at least in part on first data from a first set of sensors associated with the autonomous mobile robot that are configured to identify an object within the safety zone. Information indicating a current speed of the autonomous mobile robot from associated propulsion components may be received and utilized to update the first size and a shape of the safety zone. Instructions to cease propulsion of the autonomous mobile robot may be transmitted to the propulsion components based on first data identifying the object within the updated first size of the safety zone.

Collision prevention for autonomous vehicles

The invention set forth herein describes propulsive guidance methods and apparatus for controlling and shaping an atmospheric skip reentry trajectory for a space vehicle. Embodiments of the invention may utilize a powered explicit guidance algorithm to provide a closed-loop control method for controlling a space vehicle during a skip reentry maneuver.

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Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Stephen Charles Paschall, Ii