Abstract: Systems and methods for calibrating odometry of a materials handling vehicle. One embodiment of a method includes determining a current location of the materials handling vehicle, determining an odometry distance from the current location to a destination based on a calculation of a determined number of rotations of a wheel and a circumference of the wheel, and determining a positioning system distance from the current location to the destination. Some embodiments include comparing the odometry distance with data from the positioning system distance to calculate a scaling factor, applying the scaling factor to a fast alpha filter to achieve a fast filter result, and applying the scaling factor to a slow alpha filter to achieve a slow filter result. Similarly, some embodiments include applying the fast alpha filter to the scaling factor to smooth noise, calculating an updated odometry distance utilizing the scaling factor, and utilizing the updated odometry distance.

Abstract: A materials handling vehicle comprises an obstacle scanning tool and steering mechanism, materials handling hardware, vehicle drive mechanism, and user interface that facilitate movement of the materials handling vehicle and materials handled along a travel path. The tool establishes a scan field, a filter field, and a performance field, and is configured to indicate the presence of obstacles in the filter field and the performance field. The tool executes logic to establish the performance field in response to an input performance level, scan for obstacles in the filter field and the performance field, execute obstacle avoidance for obstacles detected in the filter field, and execute a performance level reduction inquiry for obstacles detected in the performance field wherein outcomes of the inquiry comprise reduction of the performance level when a performance level reduction is available and execution of obstacle avoidance when a performance level reduction is not available.

Abstract: Dynamic industrial vehicle monitoring for modification of vehicle operator behavior comprises identifying a metric that characterizes an event associated with the operation of an industrial vehicle, the metric having at least one behavior modification action and at least one performance parameter to evaluate the event against. Monitoring operation of the industrial vehicle is carried out for the event. Upon detecting an occurrence of the event, event data is recorded that characterizes a response of a vehicle operator to the event. The recorded event data is evaluated against at least one performance parameter associated with the corresponding metric to determine whether the vehicle operator demonstrated appropriate behavior for the event. A vehicle operator score is updated based upon the evaluation and the updated vehicle operator score is communicated.

Abstract: An industrial vehicle comprising a tag reader, a reader module, and a diagnostic tag, wherein the diagnostic tag is coupled to the industrial truck within a read range of the tag reader. The reader module and the tag reader cooperate to identify the diagnostic tag and individual tags of a tag layout and the reader module discriminates between the individual tags of the tag layout and the diagnostic tag and the individual tags of the tag layout, correlates an identified individual tag of the tag layout with tag data, correlates an identified diagnostic tag with operation of the tag reader, and generates a missing tag signal if the diagnostic tag is not identified or the operation of the tag reader is not within specified operating parameters.

Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a materials handling vehicle comprising a hand-held drive unit comprising a user interface and an operational command generator responsive to the user interface. The hand-held drive unit is configured to send operational commands generated in response to user input at the user interface to the vehicular controller(s) to control operational functions of the traction control unit, the braking system, the steering assembly, the mast assembly, the picking attachment, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: Warehouse mapping tools according to the present disclosure comprise a mobile mapping interface and a mobile computing device in communication with the mobile mapping interface. The mobile computing device can be configured to access waypoint data comprising location coordinates of a set of mapping waypoints, present graphical representations of the set of mapping waypoints at discrete locations in a representation of a warehouse environment, access mobile mapping data representing an elapsed travel path, access error metric data, present a graphical representation of the error metric data, and indicate a validation state of the elapsed travel path segment. In other embodiments, a warehouse mapping tool comprises a remote computer that is configured to communicate with a mapping vehicle and that can be used to facilitate navigation, localization, or odometry correction with respect to an industrial vehicle in the warehouse.

Abstract: An industrial vehicle is provided comprising a drive mechanism, a steering mechanism, a vehicle controller, a camera, and a navigation module. The camera is communicatively coupled to the navigation module, the vehicle controller is responsive to commands from the navigation module, and the drive mechanism and the steering mechanism are responsive to commands from the vehicle controller. The camera is configured to capture an input image of a warehouse ceiling comprising elongated skylights characterized by different rates of image intensity change along longitudinal and transverse axial directions, and ceiling lights characterized by a circularly symmetric rate of image intensity change. The navigation module is configured to distinguish between the ceiling lights and the skylights and send commands to the vehicle controller for localization, or to navigate the industrial vehicle through the warehouse based upon valid ceiling light identification, valid skylight identification, or both.

Abstract: Systems and methods for calibrating odometry of a materials handling vehicle. One embodiment of a method includes determining a current location of the materials handling vehicle, determining an odometry distance from the current location to a destination based on a calculation of a determined number of rotations of a wheel and a circumference of the wheel, and determining a positioning system distance from the current location to the destination. Some embodiments include comparing the odometry distance with data from the positioning system distance to calculate a scaling factor, applying the scaling factor to a fast alpha filter to achieve a fast filter result, and applying the scaling factor to a slow alpha filter to achieve a slow filter result. Similarly, some embodiments include applying the fast alpha filter to the scaling factor to smooth noise, calculating an updated odometry distance utilizing the scaling factor, and utilizing the updated odometry distance.

Abstract: A materials handling vehicle comprises an obstacle scanning tool and steering mechanism, materials handling hardware, vehicle drive mechanism, and user interface that facilitate movement of the materials handling vehicle and materials handled along a travel path. The tool establishes a scan field, a filter field, and a performance field, and is configured to indicate the presence of obstacles in the filter field and the performance field. The tool executes logic to establish the performance field in response to an input performance level, scan for obstacles in the filter field and the performance field, execute obstacle avoidance for obstacles detected in the filter field, and execute a performance level reduction inquiry for obstacles detected in the performance field wherein outcomes of the inquiry comprise reduction of the performance level when a performance level reduction is available and execution of obstacle avoidance when a performance level reduction is not available.

Abstract: Systems and methods for calibrating an image capture device for a materials handling vehicle. One embodiment of a system includes the image capture device and a vehicle computing device, where the vehicle computing device stores logic that when executed by a processor, causes the materials handling vehicle to determine a current location of the materials handling vehicle in a warehouse and determine a seed value associated with the image capture device, the seed value representing initial calibration parameters of the image capture device. In some embodiments, the logic causes the materials handling vehicle to capture image data in the warehouse, compare the image data with a site map, and determine a calibrated value for the image capture device from the comparison and the seed value.

Abstract: A processing device having a graphical user interface includes a housing having a touch screen display that receives touch gesture commands from a vehicle operator. Still further, a set of controls is arranged on a front face of the housing. The set of controls include hardware control equivalents to the gesture commands recognized by the touch screen of the display. This allows industrial vehicle operators to wear gloves or other attire fitting for the task at hand, without undue interference interacting with the graphical user interface. Also, redundant control, e.g., via gesture commands recognized by the touch screen of the display and corresponding controls in the user control section, allow the vehicle operator to use which ever data input option is most convenient for speed, convenience, workflow, etc.

Abstract: Warehouse mapping tools according to the present disclosure comprise a mobile mapping interface and a mobile computing device in communication with the mobile mapping interface. The mobile computing device can be configured to access waypoint data comprising location coordinates of a set of mapping waypoints, present graphical representations of the set of mapping waypoints at discrete locations in a representation of a warehouse environment, access mobile mapping data representing an elapsed travel path, access error metric data, present a graphical representation of the error metric data, and indicate a validation state of the elapsed travel path segment. In other embodiments, a warehouse mapping tool comprises a remote computer that is configured to communicate with a mapping vehicle and that can be used to facilitate navigation, localization, or odometry correction with respect to an industrial vehicle in the warehouse.

Abstract: A computer-executed process and system for evaluating industrial vehicle performance comprises identifying kinematic functions of an industrial vehicle, receiving constraints of an environment in which the industrial vehicle operates, and computing a cutback curve for a parameter of a select kinematic function of the industrial vehicle. A kinematic model of the industrial vehicle is generated based on the kinematic functions, the constraints of the environment, and the cutback curves. A workflow model is defined by defining tasks of the industrial vehicle within the environment, wherein the tasks are based upon the kinematic model. The kinematic model and workflow model is used to simulate a job specification, and the results of the simulation are used to evaluate an industrial vehicle.

Abstract: A module capable of operating on one of first and second vehicles includes an input table having a superset of input elements, with a first subset of input elements related to a first set of hardware devices on the first vehicle and a second subset related to a second set of hardware devices on the second vehicle. The module includes at least one configuration table with configuration elements corresponding to ones of the superset of input elements, wherein each configuration element has data related to transforming a value associated with an input element. The module includes vehicle function input elements related to function inputs utilized on the vehicles; and structure for determining a value of an input element corresponding to a function input element, transforming the value to a transformed value and linking the transformed value with the corresponding function input element.

Abstract: A variety of vehicle-based and warehouse-based solutions are provided to increase the adaptability, utility, and efficiency of materials handling vehicles in the warehouse environment, such as a materials handling vehicle comprising a hand-held drive unit comprising a user interface and an operational command generator responsive to the user interface. The hand-held drive unit is configured to send operational commands generated in response to user input at the user interface to the vehicular controller(s) to control operational functions of the traction control unit, the braking system, the steering assembly, the mast assembly, the picking attachment, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A computer-implemented process of tracking events, is carried out by detecting that a first badge is within a personal-area network wireless communication range of a second badge, thus designating an encounter, and performing, by processor executing instructions read out from memory, an event logging transaction responsive to the encounter. The event logging transaction is performed by receiving, from the first badge, an electronic message characterizing an observation made by the user of the first badge relative to a user of the second badge, converting the electronic message received from the first badge into a pinpoint response, and generating an event record comprising an identification of an event type, and the pinpoint response.

Abstract: Calculating a current target position value for controlling a traction speed of a materials handling vehicle, that includes receiving steering command signals; generating an output value proportional to a rate of change of the steering command signals; determining whether the output value is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold; determining a raw target position value for controlling the traction speed of the materials handling vehicle; and calculating the current target position value based on: whether the output value is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and whether the raw target position value is less than or equal to a previously calculated target position value for controlling the traction speed.

Abstract: A goods-to-man warehousing system comprises a multilevel racking system, a plurality of mobile storage units, a storage unit transporter, a pick-place vehicle, a mobile storage unit transfer node, and a warehouse management computing hub. The multilevel racking system comprises a vertically and horizontally distributed array of storage bays. One or more of the mobile storage units are positioned in respective ones of the storage bays of the multilevel racking system. The pick-place vehicle comprises pick-place hardware that enables the pick-place vehicle to transfer mobile storage units between a plurality of different, vertically displaced storage bays of the multilevel racking system and the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system. The storage unit transporter comprises storage unit engagement hardware that enables the storage unit transporter to transport mobile storage units to or from the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system.

Abstract: A goods-to-man warehousing system comprises a multilevel racking system, a plurality of mobile storage units, a storage unit transporter, a pick-place vehicle, a mobile storage unit transfer node, and a warehouse management computing hub. The multilevel racking system comprises a vertically and horizontally distributed array of storage bays. One or more of the mobile storage units are positioned in respective ones of the storage bays of the multilevel racking system. The pick-place vehicle comprises pick-place hardware that enables the pick-place vehicle to transfer mobile storage units between a plurality of different, vertically displaced storage bays of the multilevel racking system and the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system. The storage unit transporter comprises storage unit engagement hardware that enables the storage unit transporter to transport mobile storage units to or from the mobile storage unit transfer node of the goods-to-man warehousing system.

Abstract: Vehicles, systems, and methods for navigating or tracking the navigation of a materials handling vehicle along a surface that may include a camera and vehicle functions to match two-dimensional image information from camera data associated with the input image of overhead features with a plurality of global target locations of a warehouse map to generate a plurality of candidate optical targets, an optical target associated with each global target location and a code; filter the targets to determine a candidate optical target; decode the target to identify the associated code; identify an optical target associated with the identified code; determine a camera metric relative to the identified optical target and the position and orientation of the identified optical target in the warehouse map; calculate a vehicle pose based on the camera metric; and navigate the materials handling vehicle utilizing the vehicle pose.