초록 ▼

A manufacturing system has a material handling system that uses free roaming mobile apparatuses that are under the control of a visual navigation system that has the capability of regenerating images that are temporarily obstructed from view of a visual navigation system. The visual navigation syste

A manufacturing system has a material handling system that uses free roaming mobile apparatuses that are under the control of a visual navigation system that has the capability of regenerating images that are temporarily obstructed from view of a visual navigation system. The visual navigation system uses the images to provide commands that navigate an electrical controllable apparatus such as a mobile robot. The mobile robot is fitted with a minimum of three navigation beacons which emit a light visible to overhead television cameras. The beacon area is arranged so as to form a triangle. The shape and dimension of the triangular pattern is measured and stored in a memory unit within the visual navigation system. When a beacon is blocked from view of the television cameras, the visual navigation will regenerate coordinate of the blocked beacon and provide the necessary navigation commands to the mobile apparatus.

대표청구항 ▼

A visual navigation system with a regeneration capability comprising: control and navigation means for obtaining the position of a mobile robot, including: a predefined visually detectable pattern on the mobile robot; camera means for obtaining a visual image of said pattern; control and navigation

A visual navigation system with a regeneration capability comprising: control and navigation means for obtaining the position of a mobile robot, including: a predefined visually detectable pattern on the mobile robot; camera means for obtaining a visual image of said pattern; control and navigation circuit means electrically connected to the camera means, for regenerating portions of the predefined visually detectable pattern which are hidden from the field of view of the camera means; wherein the X-Y position and heading of the mobile robot are determined by the control and navigation circuit means from the visual image, and said regenerated portions thereof, of the predefined visually detectable pattern.