Abstract: A mobile lifting apparatus has a platform coupled to elongated lifting arms arranged in a crossed configuration with a hinge at center portions of the lifting arms which allows the lifting arms to rotate in a crossed scissor manner when the platform is raised or lowered. The lower ends of the lift arms are coupled to automatic guided vehicles which move towards each other to raise the platform and move away from each other to lower the platform. A locking mechanism coupled to the lifting arms is actuated to prevent movement of the lifting arms to lock the height of the platform.

Abstract: An automatic guided vehicles (AGV) can include: motors, wheels, motor controllers, and batteries coupled to an elongated frame. The two wheels can be mounted on opposite sides of the elongated frame. The wheels can be coupled to motors which can be controlled by motor controllers. The motors and motor controllers can be attached to the frame and a connector flange can be mounted on a center portion of the AGV frame. Linkages are used to couple a plurality of AGVs together. In a two AGV embodiment, the AGVs can be mounted to a front portion and a rear portion on a centerline of a platform. In a four AGV embodiment, front width, rear width, left length, and right length linkages can form a parallelogram with AGVs couple to each of the four corners of the parallelogram.

Abstract: The storage assembly has four column structures which may each include a belt mounted on an upper pulley and a lower pulley. The lower pulley of each column is driven by an electric motor, which is synchronized with a controller coupled to logistic-control software system. Shelves are coupled to the belts which are used to hold storage platforms. Parts are placed on the storage platforms which are moved from the storage assembly to robotic vehicles or storage racks.

Abstract: An automatic guided vehicles (AGV) can include: motors, wheels, motor controllers, and batteries coupled to an elongated frame. The two wheels can be mounted on opposite sides of the elongated frame. The wheels can be coupled to motors which can be controlled by motor controllers. The motors and motor controllers can be attached to the frame. The center of gravity can be lower than the axis of rotation of the wheels so that the AGV will passively rotated into an upright position. A connector flange can be mounted on top of a payload holder column mounted to a center portion of the AGV frame. Objects can be mounted on or towed by the connector flange.

Abstract: The system performs a process for creating robotic control code for manufacturing products. A Designer UI displays virtual parts and receives inputs for processing and assembling the virtual parts that are required to create a virtual product. The designer identifies options for processing and assembling the virtual parts which are displayed on the user interface. The robot abilities and the options are selected to optimize a metric of the product manufacturing. The inventive toolset produces the robot control codes for performing a sequence of robotic abilities with the selected options to product the product. The robot control codes are used by a simulator which manipulates virtual robots and virtual parts to create a virtual product to check the robot control code. The verified robot control code is used to control real robots to create the product.

Abstract: An electric motor having a rotor having permanent magnets and a first gear arranged on an inner surface of the rotor, a stator having electromagnetic coils wound around sections of the rotor, a shaft arranged to be rotatably supported in the electric motor, the shaft having a second gear arranged on an outer surface of the shaft, and at least one rotary gear member arranged in a space between the first gear and the second gear. A number of the permanent magnets is the same as a number of the electromagnetic coils, and both the permanent magnets and the electromaqnetic coils are evenly spaced apart in a circumferential manner. The rotor further having a plurality of non-magnetic sections positioned between the plurality of permanent magnets to form an outermost layer of the rotor.

Abstract: A thermal management unit for providing cooling or heating to regions of a vehicle. The thermal management unit comprises a housing (11) containing a compressor (13) and a first evaporator (12) of a refrigerant system; a pump (36), a heater (39) as first radiator of a heating system; and a blower (17). The blower is configured to force air over the first evaporator and first radiator to cool or heat the air. The housing comprises an airflow outlet (46) through which the cooled or heated air can exit the housing, and an airflow inlet (47) though which air can enter the housing to be recirculated by the blower. The housing comprises a first refrigerant outlet port (16) through which refrigerant compressed by the compressor can pass out of the housing, and a second refrigerant inlet port (31) through which refrigerant can return into the housing for the supply to the first evaporator (12).

Abstract: A two-component adhesive system pumps a first adhesive component and a second adhesive component into a replaceable mixing unit that can be periodically replaced when the adhesive has cured in the mixing unit. The adhesive system may have a robotic arm coupled to a gripper unit which has an open configuration and a closed configuration. In the open configuration, the gripper unit releases the mixing unit allowing the mixing unit to be replaced. The robotic arm may moves the gripper unit to install a replacement mixing unit. The gripper unit can be moved to the closed configuration and the adhesive can be pumped through the mixing unit.

Abstract: A gear selection system for a vehicle, and a method of selecting a gear in a vehicle, are disclosed. The gear selection system comprises a display screen for displaying a gear selection Graphical User Interface, a user input device for receiving user input in the form of a first user gesture, and a control apparatus configured to control the display screen to display the gear selection GUI in response to the first user gesture being received. Also provided is a gear selection system comprising a touch-sensitive user input device configured for receiving user input in the form of user touch gestures, a display screen for displaying a gear selection Graphical User Interface, and a control apparatus configured to control the display screen to display the gear selection GUI. The gear selection system is configured to generate a control signal indicative of a selected gear in response to a drag gesture being received on the touch-sensitive user input device.