Abstract: A preload and retraction device (10, 10?) of a wheel assembly comprises a linear guide (11), an internal slider (12) and an external slider (13) movable along the linear guide (11), a linear elastic member (14) arranged to connect the two sliders (12) (13), a first wheel support arm (15) integral with the internal slider (12) and a second wheel support arm (19) integral with the external slider (13), with the external slider (13) carrying a weight support wheel (20) that is actuated and the internal slider (12) carrying a traction wheel (16) that comes into contact with a rolling surface with a preload force that is a function of the geometry of the system. The use of the device (10, 10?) is particularly advantageous for supporting the wheels in a self-propelled cart (100) of the type suitable for moving along a railway track for the inspection of the underbody of railway vehicles as it greatly facilitates and at least partially automates the installation of the self-propelled cart (100) on the track.

Abstract: A method for controlling a mobile robotic apparatus for disinfecting a space includes acquiring, by a data processing unit of the mobile robotic apparatus, a map of the space to be disinfected, acquiring information on a plurality of contact surfaces to be disinfected within the space to be disinfected, each contact surface being associated with a criticality level, determining an amount of ultraviolet-C, UV-C, radiation energy to be deposited, by a UV-C radiation source, on a contact surface, the amount of UV-C radiation energy being determined as a function of the criticality level, distance and orientation of the contact surface with respect to the UV-C radiation source and of set operating features of the UV-C radiation source, determining a respective virtual potential of attraction of the UV-C radiation source towards each contact surface, generating a path trajectory, and controlling the mobile robotic apparatus along the generated path trajectory.