Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for managing transitions between operational modes of a vehicle. The system includes a controller configured to, by a processor: automatically transition between vehicular operational modes without initiation by the driver including a hands-off autonomous driving mode in which the processor controls lateral steering of the vehicle, a hands-on driving assistance mode in which the processor controls the lateral steering of the vehicle while the driver is holding the steering wheel, and a no control mode in which the driver controls the lateral steering of the vehicle. The transition between the operational modes is based on sensed data. The hands-off autonomous driving mode is prioritized over the hands-on driving assistance mode which is prioritized over the no control mode. The controller is further configured to display on a human-machine-interface a notification indicating that at least one of the operational modes is active or not available.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that is visible by both a three dimensional (3D) scanner system of a medical navigation system and a camera of the medical navigation system. The apparatus involves a rigid member and a plurality of markers attached to the rigid member. Each of the plurality of markers includes a reflective surface portion visible by the camera and a distinct identifiable portion visible by the 3D scanner system. The apparatus further involves a connector mechanism to connect the apparatus to a reference location. The apparatus is in a field of view of the 3D scanner system and the camera within a timeframe of the 3D scan.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle towing a trailer within a lane of a roadway that include: reconstructing, via a processor onboard the vehicle, lane markings for the trailer using lane markers as sensed via camera data; transforming the reconstructed lane markings, using additional sensor data, to a perspective of the trailer; localizing the trailer within the transformed lane markers using historical camera lane marking information, articulated vehicle dynamics, hitch angle, and trailer dimensions, without needing to add additional trailer lane sensing cameras to the trailer; calculating a time to lane crossing (T-TTLC) value for the trailer and vehicle; generating candidate blended paths of the trailer and the vehicle with a centerline of the lane of the roadway; and controlling operation of the vehicle, the trailer, or both, via instructions provided by the processor to keep the vehicle, the trailer, or both within a lane of travel.

Abstract: A system for adjusting an operating state of a medical electronic device is described. In an aspect, the system includes an optical tracking system configured to detect three or more tracking markers. The system also includes a processor coupled with the optical tracking system. The processor is programmed with instructions which, when executed, configure the processor to: configure an input command by assigning at least one operating state of the medical electronic device to a particular state of at least one of the tracking markers; after receiving a priming command, identify a present state of the tracking markers based on data from the optical tracking system; compare the present state with the particular state assigned to the operating state; and based on the comparison, determine that an input command has been received and adjust the operating state of the medical electronic device to the assigned operating state.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle towing a trailer within a lane of a roadway that include: reconstructing, via a processor onboard the vehicle, lane markings for the trailer using lane markers as sensed via camera data; transforming the reconstructed lane markings, using additional sensor data, to a perspective of the trailer; localizing the trailer within the transformed lane markers using historical camera lane marking information, articulated vehicle dynamics, hitch angle, and trailer dimensions, without needing to add additional trailer lane sensing cameras to the trailer; calculating a time to lane crossing (T-TTLC) value for the trailer and vehicle; generating candidate blended paths of the trailer and the vehicle with a centerline of the lane of the roadway; and controlling operation of the vehicle, the trailer, or both, via instructions provided by the processor to keep the vehicle, the trailer, or both within a lane of travel.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for performing patient registration. 3D scan data from a 3D scanner, preoperative image data, first tracking data from a first tracking system, and second tracking data from a second tracking system are mapped to a common coordinate space. The 3D scan data and the first tracking data are mapped to each other using a transformation that is determined based on a calibration relating the 3D scan coordinate space and the tracking coordinate space. The 3D scan data and the preoperative image data are mapped to each other using a surface matching algorithm. The first tracking data and the second tracking data are mapped to each other based on tracking of the patient reference device.

Abstract: A system for closest in path vehicle following using surrounding vehicles motion flow is provided and includes a sensor device of a host vehicle generating data related to vehicles upon a drivable surface. The system further includes a navigation controller including a computerized processor operable to monitor the data from the sensor device, define a portion of the plurality of vehicles as a swarm of vehicles, identify one of the plurality of vehicles as a closest in path vehicle to be followed, evaluate the data to determine whether the closest in path vehicle to be followed is exhibiting good behavior in relation to the swarm of vehicles, and, when the closest in path vehicle to be followed is exhibiting the good behavior, generate a breadcrumbing navigation path based upon the data. The system further includes a vehicle controller controlling the host vehicle based upon the breadcrumbing navigation path.

Abstract: A method for updating a patient registration during a medical procedure is disclosed. The medical procedure uses an optical navigation system for optically tracking a patient reference object in a real-world space. The method includes: acquiring a first set of image data depicting a region of interest on the patient while a first patient registration is intact; detecting that the first patient registration has been lost; obtaining a second set of image data depicting the region of interest; and applying a transform to data points of the first region to obtain data points for an updated patient registration, the transform obtained based on the first and second sets of image data.

Abstract: A system for closest in path vehicle following using surrounding vehicles motion flow is provided and includes a sensor device of a host vehicle generating data related to vehicles upon a drivable surface. The system further includes a navigation controller including a computerized processor operable to monitor the data from the sensor device, define a portion of the plurality of vehicles as a swarm of vehicles, identify one of the plurality of vehicles as a closest in path vehicle to be followed, evaluate the data to determine whether the closest in path vehicle to be followed is exhibiting good behavior in relation to the swarm of vehicles, and, when the closest in path vehicle to be followed is exhibiting the good behavior, generate a breadcrumbing navigation path based upon the data. The system further includes a vehicle controller controlling the host vehicle based upon the breadcrumbing navigation path.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that is visible by both a three dimensional (3D) scanner system of a medical navigation system and a camera of the medical navigation system. The apparatus involves a rigid member and a plurality of markers attached to the rigid member. Each of the plurality of markers includes a reflective surface portion visible by the camera and a distinct identifiable portion visible by the 3D scanner system. The apparatus further involves a connector mechanism to connect the apparatus to a reference location. The apparatus is in a field of view of the 3D scanner system and the camera within a timeframe of the 3D scan.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that is visible by both a three dimensional (3D) scanner system of a medical navigation system and a camera of the medical navigation system. The apparatus comprises a rigid member and a plurality of markers attached to the rigid member. Each of the plurality of markers includes a reflective surface portion visible by the camera and a distinct identifiable portion visible by the 3D scanner system. The apparatus further includes a connector mechanism to connect the apparatus to a reference location. The apparatus is in a field of view of the 3D scanner system and the camera within a timeframe of the 3D scan.

Abstract: Trackable apparatuses and methods involving at least one arrangement of at least one trackable feature configured for disposition in relation to at least one substrate, each arrangement of the at least one arrangement having a distinct pattern of trackable features configured to facilitate determining at least one of: an identity of at least one object and at least one subject, a disposition of at least one object and at least one subject, a disposition between at least one object and at least one subject, and a disposition among at least one object and at least one subject, and each arrangement of the at least one arrangement configured to optimize tracking by a navigation tracking system, whereby at least one spatial relationship among the at least one object and the at least one subject is optimizable. The navigation tracking system is optionally multi-modal.

Abstract: A system for closest in path vehicle following is provided. The system includes a sensor device of a vehicle to be controlled generating data related to a closest in path vehicle and related to a drivable surface in front of the vehicle. The system further includes a navigation control module including a computerized processor operable to monitor the data from the sensor device, evaluate the data to determine a quality measure of a path followed by the closest in path vehicle, and if the quality measure of the closest in path vehicle is above a high-quality candidate threshold, generate a breadcrumbing navigation path based upon the data. The system further includes a vehicle control module controlling the vehicle to be controlled based upon the breadcrumbing navigation path.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for performing patient registration. 3D scan data from a 3D scanner, preoperative image data, first tracking data from a first tracking system, and second tracking data from a second tracking system are mapped to a common coordinate space. The 3D scan data and the first tracking data are mapped to each other using a transformation that is determined based on a calibration relating the 3D scan coordinate space and the tracking coordinate space. The 3D scan data and the preoperative image data are mapped to each other using a surface matching algorithm. The first tracking data and the second tracking data are mapped to each other based on tracking of the patient reference device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for performing patient registration. 3D scan data from a 3D scanner, preoperative image data, first tracking data from a first tracking system, and second tracking data from a second tracking system are mapped to a common coordinate space. The 3D scan data and the first tracking data are mapped to each other using a transformation that is determined based on a calibration relating the 3D scan coordinate space and the tracking coordinate space. The 3D scan data and the preoperative image data are mapped to each other using a surface matching algorithm. The first tracking data and the second tracking data are mapped to each other based on tracking of the patient reference device.

Abstract: A method for updating a patient registration during a medical procedure is disclosed. The medical procedure uses an optical navigation system for optically tracking a patient reference object in a real-world space. The method includes: acquiring a first set of image data depicting a region of interest on the patient while a first patient registration is intact; detecting that the first patient registration has been lost; obtaining a second set of image data depicting the region of interest; and applying a transform to data points of the first region to obtain data points for an updated patient registration, the transform obtained based on the first and second sets of image data.

Abstract: A method for updating a patient registration during a surgical procedure is disclosed. The surgical procedure uses an optical navigation system for optically tracking a patient reference object in a real world space and includes intra-operatively acquiring a first set of image data depicting a region of interest on the patient while the first registration is intact. The region of interest includes at least one anatomical landmark. The method includes: detecting that the first registration has been lost; obtaining a second set of image data depicting the region of interest; identifying a transform based on the first set of image data and the second set of image data; and applying the identified transform to data points of the first registration to obtain data points for the updated patient registration.

Abstract: A system for adjusting an operating state of a medical electronic device is described. In an aspect, the system includes an optical tracking system configured to detect three or more tracking markers. The system also includes a processor coupled with the optical tracking system. The processor is programmed with instructions which, when executed, configure the processor to: configure an input command by assigning at least one operating state of the medical electronic device to a particular state of at least one of the tracking markers; after receiving a priming command, identify a present state of the tracking markers based on data from the optical tracking system; compare the present state with the particular state assigned to the operating state; and based on the comparison, determine that an input command has been received and adjust the operating state of the medical electronic device to the assigned operating state.

Abstract: In one aspect, a medical tracking system is described. The medical tracking system includes a first tracking system providing a first tracking region. The first tracking system is configured to track a tracked instrument within the first tracking region. The medical tracking system further includes a second tracking system providing a second tracking region. The second tracking system is configured to track the tracked instrument within the second tracking region. The medical tracking system also includes a processor coupled to the first tracking system and the second tracking system. The processor is configured to determine, based on data received from the first tracking system and data received from the second tracking system, transposition information to map data received from the first tracking system and data received from the second tracking system into a common space.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided that is at least partially visible by both a three dimensional (3D) scanner system of a medical navigation system and a tracking system of the medical navigation system. The apparatus includes a rigid member, a plurality of identifiable features attached to the rigid member and visible by the tracking system, a distinct identifiable portion visible by the 3D scanner system, and a connector mechanism attached to the rigid member to connect the apparatus to a location. The apparatus is in a field of view of the 3D scanner system and the tracking system within a timeframe of the 3D scan.