Caterpillar Inc.

Carnegie Mellon University

Other

Redzone Robotics, Inc.

University of Toronto

Workhorse Technologies, LLC

William L Whittaker

Lonnie J Devier

Sanjiv J Singh

Carl A Kemner

Dong Hun Shin

Craig L Koehrsen

Karl W Kleimenhagen

Joel L Peterson

Walter J Bradbury

Larry E Schmidt

Norman K Lay

Adam J Gudat

Christos T Kyrtsos

Darrell E Stafford

Dana A Christensen

Louis J Weinbeck

Richard G Clow

Jay H West

Prithvi N Rao

Gary K Shaffer

Wenfan Shi

Srinivasa Narasimhan

James W Sennott

Joseph Bartels

Baoxin Wu

Anthony Joseph Stentz

Mark Ollis

Eric C Close

Carlos Felipe Reverte

Adam Slifko

Scott Mason Thayer

John E Bares

Kerien W Fitzpatrick

Jian Jim Wang

Edison Thurman Hudson

Michael Happold

Aswin C Sankaranarayanan

Subramanian Vallapuzha

Hagen Schempf

Supreeth Achar

Thomas E Pilarski

Aaron Christopher Morris

Henning M Pangels

Jian Wang

Warren Charles Whittaker

Zachary Meyer Omohundro

David Ian Ferguson

Christopher Baker

Siri Katrina Maley

Kiriakos Kutulakos

Regis Hoffman

Heather Louise Jones

Oleg Borisovich Sapunkov

Carlos Reverte

A method to dynamically and adaptively sample the depths of a scene using the principle of triangulation light curtains is described. The approach directly detects the presence or absence of obstacles (or scene points) at specified 3D lines in a scene by sampling the scene. The scene can be sampled sparsely, non-uniformly, or densely at specified regions. The depth sampling can be varied in real-time, enabling quick object discovery or detailed exploration of areas of interest. Once an object is discovered in the scene, adaptive light curtains comprising dense sampling of a region of the scene containing the object, can be used to better define the position, shape and size of the discovered object.

Agile depth sensing using triangulation light curtains

Embodiments described herein are generally directed to a device that monitors for the presence of objects passing through or impinging on a virtual shell near the device, referred to herein as a 'light curtain', which is created by rapidly rotating a line sensor and a line laser in synchrony. The boundaries of the light curtain are defined by a sweeping line defined by the intersection of the sensing and illumination planes.

Programmable light curtains

Energy-efficient epipolar imaging is applied to the ToF domain to significantly expand the versatility of ToF sensors. The described system exhibits 15+ m range outdoors in bright sunlight; robustness to global transport effects such as specular and diffuse inter-reflections; interference-free 3D imaging in the presence of many ToF sensors, even when they are all operating at the same optical wavelength and modulation frequency; and blur- and distortion-free 3D video in the presence of severe camera shake. The described embodiments are broadly applicable in consumer and robotics domains.

Method for epipolar time of flight imaging

Disclosed herein are a method, apparatus, and software for passive, non-destructive assay of holdup deposits in nuclear piping by in-pipe apparatus. A detector deployed within a pipe is collimated to observe radiation impinging radially inward from decay of deposits that lie on the pipe wall. A radiation detector is centered in the pipe and collimated by a pair of coaxial shielding discs disposed equidistant from the detector. This arrangement causes radiation from a truncated cylinder of pipe deposit within a field of regard to impinge on the detector, while precluding radiation emanating from pipe walls beyond the field of regard from reaching the detector. Hence, observations are unique to a known cylindrical length of pipe. The detector assembly is translated through pipes by an autonomous mobile robotic apparatus. Computer software controls the robotic apparatus, logs data, and post-processes to assay deposits.

System and method for passive assay of holdup deposits in nuclear piping

A battery powered generator. The battery powered generator has a housing including a rechargeable battery. A pedal assembly, a wind turbine, and at least one solar panel are removably securable to the housing, enabling a user to choose any combination of which to recharge the battery. When secured to the housing, the pedal assembly, the wind turbine, and the at least one solar panel are operably connected to the rechargeable battery. A subpanel and an electrical panel are also operably connected to the rechargeable battery. An automatic transfer switch is operably connected to the electrical panel, the rechargeable battery, and the subpanel, and can control a flow of. The battery powered generator can be recharged by a variety of devices, or a combination thereof, to provide an uninterrupted flow of electricity in the event the electrical panel is unable to.

Battery powered generator

An autonomous inspector mobile platform robot that is used to inspect a pipe or network of pipes. The robot includes a locomotion device that enables the device to autonomously progress through the pipe and accurately track its pose and odometry during movement. At the same time, image data is autonomously captured to detail the interior portions of the pipe. Images are taken at periodic intervals using a wide angle lens, and additional video images may be captured at locations of interest. Either onboard or offboard the device, each captured image is unwarped (if necessary) and combined with images of adjacent pipe sections to create a complete image of the interior features of the inspected pipe. Optional features include additional sensors and measurement devices, various communications systems to communicate with an end node or the surface, and/or image compression software.

Autonomous inspector mobile platform

Devices and methods for streamlining the completion of work functions within a lateral pipe connected to a main pipe. A variety of different lateral devices may be used to aid in the process of relining the main or lateral pipe. A lateral location device is inserted into the lateral pipe prior to relining of the main pipe and is subsequently used to aid in the conventional cutting of the main-lateral interface. A lateral cutting device actually performs the main-lateral cutting process from within the lateral or from within the main. A lateral inspection device crawls up the lateral for inspection via camera. A lateral relining device aids in the placement of a liner used to reline the lateral pipe. Each of these interchangeable work functions may be optional performed by one or more lateral devices, often carried and inserted by a delivery device.

Pipeline rehabilitation systems

Robotic systems for modeling, mapping and exploring subterranean void spaces such as mines, caves, tunnels, bunkers, and conduits. Robotic modeling of subterranean voids is generally enabled by a procedural system consisting of preprocessing, ingress, void modeling, mapping and navigation, exploration, conveying payloads other than void modeling sensors, egress, and post processing. The robots can either be imposed mobility or can be self mobile with either autonomous, remote, teleoperated, or manual modes of operation. The robot may optionally transform from a compact size into a more conventional operating size if the operating size exceeds the void entry opening size. Void geometries with flat floors are amenable to robot locomotion such as rolling, crawling, walking or swimming. Alternatively, irregular floor geometries that preclude self mobilization may be accessible by imposed mobilization such as dropping or pushing a movable robotic sensor into such voids. The robotic device is preferably adaptable to voids filled with a gas or liquid. To maximize mapping applicability, the robot optionally includes sensing, locomotion and environmental tolerance to submersion and safeguarding, according to use criteria.

Robotic modeling of voids

A Shingle Ripper is provided for removing existing shingles from a roof. A claw which includes a generally triangularly-shaped plate with a front edge. The claw has a bottom surface and a top surface. The front edge of the claw has teeth. A handle, which is connected to the claw has a claw section which is the part of the handle affixed to the claw. A lower section is connected to the claw section and is located at an acute angle from the bottom surface. A lower intermediate section is connected to the lower section at an acute angle upwardly away from the bottom surface. An upper intermediate section is connected to the lower intermediate section at an acute angle downwardly toward the bottom surface. An upper section connected to the upper intermediate section at an acute angle upwardly away from the bottom surface. Hand grips are located on the lower intermediate section and the upper section.

Shingle ripper

An agricultural harvesting machine (harvester) is automatically controlled and steered so as to completely harvest all crop in a field. A Global Positioning System (GPS) and an Inertial Navigation System provide data regarding the position and orientation of the harvester in a field. A Field Coverage Planner constructs a field coverage plan which defines a path for the harvester to follow in cutting crop from a field. Video images of the field in front of the harvester are derived alternately from two video cameras mounted on opposite sides of the harvester. The video images are processed in a Video Processing Computer to detect the crop line between cut and uncut crop and generate steering signals for steering the harvester along the crop line. Video images are also processed to detect the end of a row at the end of a field and supply a measure of the distance to the end of the row. When the end of a row is reached, the harvester executes a 180&deg; spin turn and traverses the field in the opposite direction.

Agricultural harvester with robotic control

A system and method for controlling the navigation of surface based vehicle uses a route that is obtained by manually driving the vehicle over the route to collect data defining the absolute position of the vehicle at various positions along the route. The collected data is smoothed to provide a consistent route to be followed. The smoothed data is subsequently used to automatically guide the vehicle over the route.

Apparatus and method for autonomous vehicle navigation using absolute

A self-propelled harvester is provided with apparatus for tracking a crop line and steering the harvester along the crop line without operator assistance. The apparatus includes a video camera for viewing the landscape in front of the harvester and forming an image which may be electronically scanned pixel-by-pixel and line by line to produce a video signal containing information regarding the spectral characteristics of the image at each pixel. A microprocessor is programmed to act as a discriminator and a segmentor. The discriminator produces discriminant signals D(i,j) where i is the magnitude of a discriminant function and j is the relative position of a pixel on a scan line. The segmentor determines a step function which best fits the magnitudes of the discriminant signals for one scan line. The pixel position j.sub.n corresponding to the step of this step function is taken as a vote on the location of the crop line and thus a vote on the direction the harvester should be steered. The votes are summed for each pixel position j over one full scan of image. The summed votes are then normalized, time-weighted, and averaged with the normalized and time-weighted votes derived from previously scanned images to derive a steering command.

Vision-based crop line tracking for harvesters

A system (400) for positioning and navigating an autonomous vehicle (310) allows the vehicle (310) to travel between locations. Position information (432) is derived from global positioning system satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) or other sources (624) when the satellites (200, 202, 204, and 206) are not in the view of the vehicle (310). Navigation of the vehicle (310) is obtained using the position information (432), route information (414), obstacle detection and avoidance data (416), and on board vehicle data (908 and 910).

System and a method for enabling a vehicle to track a preset path

A system and method for enabling an autonomous vehicle to track a desired path plans a continuous path to return to the desired path when the vehicle deviates from the desired path. The continuous path is determined based on the vehicle's position, the desired path, and a lookahead distance. The lookahead distance is the distance on the desired path within which the continuous path and the desired path converge. The lookahead distance may vary as a function of vehicle speed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the continuous path is determined as a quintic polynomial.

System and method for enabling an autonomous vehicle to track a desired

A system and method detects obstacles in a road being traveled by a vehicle. Edge points of the road are calculated from known road data. A series of scan lines are made of the road ahead of the vehicle to obtain an image plane of the road ahead of the vehicle. The calculated edge points are projected into the image plane to determine the left and right edge points of each scan line in the image plane. Each scan line is processed to locate any discontinuities between the left and right edge points, where the discontinuities correspond to objects in the road.

System and method for detecting obstacles in a road

Growing community of inventors

Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

William L Whittaker