Abstract: Robots and apparatus, systems and methods for powering robots are disclosed. A disclosed conductive floor to power a robot on the floor includes a plurality of stationary conductors positioned in a pattern and a power delivery circuit to cause adjacent ones of the conductors to have different electrical potentials, the adjacent ones of the conductors to form a circuit to deliver power to the robot via contacts formed in a bottom surface of the robot.

Abstract: Robots and apparatus, systems and methods for powering robots are disclosed. A disclosed conductive floor to power a robot on the floor includes a plurality of stationary conductors positioned in a pattern and a power delivery circuit to cause adjacent ones of the conductors to have different electrical potentials, the adjacent ones of the conductors to form a circuit to deliver power to the robot via contacts formed in a bottom surface of the robot.

Abstract: A ground power supply line for electric traction vehicles is provided with two conductors carried by a series of tiles aligned to one another; each tile has a conductive plate and a lower supporting structure, which is made of insulating material and accommodates electric connectors, normally open switches, and a control and command unit, which switches the switches for selectively electrically connecting the conductive plate to the conductors in response to a signal deriving from an electric traction vehicle passing over said external conductive plate; the upper surface of the conductive plates is flushed with the remaining part of a road surface.

Abstract: A ground power supply line for electric traction vehicles is provided with two conductors carried by a series of tiles aligned to one another; each tile has a conductive plate and a lower supporting structure, which is made of insulating material and accommodates electric connectors, normally open switches, and a control and command unit, which switches the switches for selectively electrically connecting the conductive plate to the conductors in response to a signal deriving from an electric traction vehicle passing over said external conductive plate; the upper surface of the conductive plates is flushed with the remaining part of a road surface.

Abstract: A ground power supply line for electric traction vehicles is provided with two conductors carried by a series of tiles aligned to one another; each tile has a conductive plate and a lower supporting structure, which is made of insulating material and accommodates electric connectors, normally open switches, and a control and command unit, which switches the switches for selectively electrically connecting the conductive plate to the conductors in response to a signal deriving from an electric traction vehicle passing over said external conductive plate; the upper surface of the conductive plates is flushed with the remaining part of a road surface.

Abstract: A system and method for powering of a vehicle is disclosed. In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a powering assembly may include an axle, a wheel coupled to the axle, and at least one secondary coil winding affixed to the wheel. The wheel may be configured to rotate about the axle in a plane substantially perpendicular to an axis of the axle. The at least one secondary coil may be configured such that when the wheel is proximate to an embedded conductor embedded in a roadway and carrying a first electrical current, a magnetic field induced by the first electrical current induces a second electrical current in the at least one secondary coil winding.

Abstract: A system and method for powering of a vehicle is disclosed. In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a powering assembly may a carrier having one or more structural elements, an axle coupled to the carrier, a wheel coupled to the axle and configured to rotate about the axle in a plane substantially perpendicular to an axis of the axle and substantially linear rod mechanically coupled to the carrier such that the longitudinal axis of the rod is perpendicular to the axis of the axle. A secondary coil winding may be affixed to the rod and configured such that when the rod is proximate to an embedded conductor embedded in a roadway and carrying a first electrical current, a magnetic field induced by the first electrical current induces a second electrical current in the secondary coil winding.

Abstract: Persons on a bicycle or other muscle-powered vehicle, equipped through an attachment means, with a reaction plate secondary of a linear induction motor, LIM, receive intermittent, augmenting propulsion forces from a sequence of spaced LIM primary coil assemblies, positioned flush with a surface on a pathway, to augment the rider's muscle-created propelling forces when the LIM primaries are receiving power supplied by a utility. At each LIM primary, interacting magnetic fields are commonly created as the attached bicycle LIM secondary is moveably positioned by the rider proximately the centerline of a respective LIM primary. The augmenting propelling force results as thrust, derived from the interaction of the respective magnetic fields of the primary and secondary of the now temporarily completed linear induction motor at the respective, spaced locations of the primaries along the pathway.

Abstract: Disparate robotic devices can be automatically recharged and reprogrammed by self-scheduling individual time slots for the available recharging area(s) of a charging station. These charging stations provide a nest to which each robot must return periodically for power. These nests can also provide new tasking or patches for the robotic devices. The charging station and the robotic devices are both provided with communications capabilities and a protocol by which they can negotiate to find a time slot in which the device can be recharged, as well as determining a correct connector and a battery type.

Abstract: A ground power supply line for electric traction vehicles is provided with two conductors carried by a series of tiles aligned to one another; each tile has a conductive plate and a lower supporting structure, which is made of insulating material and accommodates electric connectors, normally open switches, and a control and command unit, which switches the switches for selectively electrically connecting the conductive plate to the conductors in response to a signal deriving from an electric traction vehicle passing over said external conductive plate; the upper surface of the conductive plates is flushed with the remaining part of a road surface.

Abstract: Disparate robotic devices can be automatically recharged and reprogrammed by self-scheduling individual time slots for the available recharging area(s) of a charging station. These charging stations provide a nest to which each robot must return periodically for power. These nests can also provide new tasking or patches for the robotic devices. The charging station and the robotic devices are both provided with communications capabilities and a protocol by which they can negotiate to find a time slot in which the device can be recharged, as well as determining a correct connector and a battery type.

Abstract: A power acquisition equipment, including at least: a power supplying portion, including at least: a pair of first posts, multiple second posts, multiple upper brackets, multiple lower brackets, multiple tightening devices, a cathode slide line, and an anode slide line, a power acquisition portion, including at least: a slide plate, a driving device, an adjusting device, a first base, and a linkage mechanism, and a control portion, including at least: a pair of front laser range sensors, a pair of back laser range sensors, multiple photoelectric detecting plates, a PLC controller, and an inverter driving system. The equipment features simple operation and high efficiency, and is retractable, stable, safe, cost-effective, and environmental friendly.

Abstract: A single-pull power and signal cable reel is disclosed. The reel provides single direction multi-stage retraction of signal and power cable. When the lead wire is pulled once, a positioning effect is provided. Accordingly, the reel allows precise control of an extended signal or cable for use in computer or related products.

Abstract: A floor for a bumper car amusement ride is of modular construction. A base of each module may be of wood and has a multitude of openings for inserted reception of threaded studs welded to the underside of sheet metal panels extending lengthwise thereof. Nut elements, upon removal, permit panel removal and replacement. Dielectric spacers on each base insulate metal panels of different polarity. A metal framework supports the floor modules.

Abstract: A power supply device includes a power supply member having: a first conductive plate electrically connected with one of positive and negative terminals of a power source; a second conductive plate electrically connected with the other terminal; a first insulating layer provided between the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; a second insulating layer provided on an outside surface of the second conductive plate; a plurality of supply electrode members attached on an outside surface of the second insulating layer, the plurality of supply electrode members being spaced from one another, one supply electrode member being electrically connected with the first conductive plate, another supply electrode member adjacent to the one supply electrode member being electrically connected with the second conductive plate; a plurality of current collecting electrode members provided in a movable object which is movable on a specified plane, one of at least two current collecting electrode members being

Abstract: A bumper car amusement ride includes a floor to which is adhesively bonded over their entire under surfaces a plurality of elongated electrically conductive plates separated by electrically non-conductive strips and with adjacent plates connected across a source of alternating current. A bumper car is supported for movement over the plates and strips by a pair of laterally spaced drive wheels and a pair of longitudinally spaced caster wheels, each of the drive wheels being coupled to the reversible, variable speed output of a hydrostatic transmission, the inputs of which are both coupled to the output of a direct current constant speed electric motor. The motor is connected through a rectifier to a plurality of contacts mounted on the car for sliding engagement with the floor plates.

Abstract: A current collector arrangement for amusement park bumper cars in which current for the driving motor of the car is taken from a wire mesh stretched overhead. The current is conducted by a current collector tube and returned to the floor provided with metal panels. A roller is located at a substantially small distance from the collector tube, for the purpose of collecting current from the wire mesh. The roller is mounted in a freely rotating spring-supported mounting with concave-turned surface, and the major portion of the roller is enclosed by a bowl. The bowl, furthermore, is coated on the inside with an adhesive-saturated felt lining. The bowl may also be lined on the inside with magnetic material. The mounting has a rod sliding in the collector tube, and in the end region of the rod, there are two relatively short arms attached at right angles for holding the axle of the roller. The rod, moreover, is enclosed by a spring between the end of the current collector tube and a ring attached to the rod.

Abstract: This invention is in the field of electrically operated amusement vehicles, such as bumper cars and the like, in which the vehicles receive electrical energy from segments of floor material alternately connected to the different poles of a source of electrical energy. This invention is particularly characterized by a means wherein an alternating current source of electricity is connected to the floor material together with an appropriate corrective circuit arrangement in the vehicle to convert, automatically, so as to provide direct current within the vehicles themselves. A particularly unusual feature includes the method of providing multi-phase current in such manner as to provide for increased power and speed to the vehicle depending upon the skill of the operator, together with an electronic speed control.