Abstract: A method of navigational path planning for a mobile automation apparatus includes: obtaining an apparatus localization in a common frame of reference and a localization confidence level; detecting an obstacle boundary by one or more apparatus sensors; obtaining an obstacle map indicating the obstacle boundary in the frame of reference; generating a dynamic perimeter region of the obstacle boundary defining obstruction probabilities for respective distances from the obstacle boundary according to the localization confidence level; obtaining an environmental map indicating a predefined obstacle boundary; generating, for the predefined obstacle boundary, a static perimeter region defining obstructed space; identifying an obstructed portion of the dynamic perimeter region based on the obstruction probabilities and the apparatus localization; generating a navigational path traversing unobstructed space, that excludes the obstructed portion of the dynamic perimeter region, and the static perimeter region; and contr

Abstract: Fixed segmented lattice planning for a mobile automation apparatus is provided. A mobile automation apparatus is provisioned with a plurality of segments for a plurality of paths through an environment, each of the plurality of segments being fixed in a reference frame, the plurality of segments arranged in a lattice configuration, with adjacent segments defining fixed nodes in the lattice configuration. The apparatus navigates through the environment on a segment-by-segment basis, storing control inputs and error signals for each segment and then later, when again navigating a segment using stored control inputs and error signals to generate current control inputs, along with current error signals, and storing the current control inputs and the current error signals. Indeed, each time the apparatus navigates a segment in the lattice configuration, the control inputs and the error signals are updated to refine navigation through the environment at each navigation through a segment.

Abstract: A computing device for generating a navigational path for a mobile automation apparatus includes: a memory storing, for each of a plurality of pairs of poses having predetermined orientations, a group of pre-computed path segments, each path segment traversing the pair of poses and corresponding to one of a set of entry poses and one of a set of exit poses; a navigational controller configured to: obtain a coarse path defined by a sequence of guide poses each having one of the predetermined orientations, the coarse path having a start location and an end location; for each successive pair of the guide poses, retrieve a selected one of the path segments from memory based on orientations of (i) the pair of guide poses, (ii) a preceding guide pose, and (iii) a following guide pose; and generate a final path for navigation by the apparatus by combining the selected path segments.

Abstract: A method of mobile automation apparatus localization in a navigation controller includes: controlling a depth sensor to capture a plurality of depth measurements corresponding to an area containing a navigational structure; selecting a primary subset of the depth measurements; selecting, from the primary subset, a corner candidate subset of the depth measurements; generating, from the corner candidate subset, a corner edge corresponding to the navigational structure; selecting an aisle subset of the depth measurements from the primary subset, according to the corner edge; selecting, from the aisle subset, a local minimum depth measurement for each of a plurality of sampling planes extending from the depth sensor; generating a shelf plane from the local minimum depth measurements; and updating a localization of the mobile automation apparatus based on the corner edge and the shelf plane.

Abstract: A method of dynamic path generation in a navigational controller includes: generating (i) a plurality of paths extending from a starting location to a goal location, and (ii) a cost for each of the paths; selecting, based on the costs, an optimal path for execution from the plurality of paths; storing a subset of the costs in a cost history queue; responsive to detecting an obstacle during execution of the optimal path, retrieving one of the costs from the cost history queue; determining an initial re-planning search space based on the cost retrieved from the cost history queue; and initiating generation of a re-planned path within the initial re-planning search space.

Abstract: Fixed segmented lattice planning for a mobile automation apparatus is provided. A mobile automation apparatus is provisioned with a plurality of segments for a plurality of paths through an environment, each of the plurality of segments being fixed in a reference frame, the plurality of segments arranged in a lattice configuration, with adjacent segments defining fixed nodes in the lattice configuration. The apparatus navigates through the environment on a segment-by-segment basis, storing control inputs and error signals for each segment and then later, when again navigating a segment using stored control inputs and error signals to generate current control inputs, along with current error signals, and storing the current control inputs and the current error signals. Indeed, each time the apparatus navigates a segment in the lattice configuration, the control inputs and the error signals are updated to refine navigation through the environment at each navigation through a segment.

Abstract: A device and method for multimodal localization and mapping for a mobile automation apparatus is provided. Features are extracted from images acquired by a ceiling-facing image device of the mobile automation apparatus in an environment, and stored in association with estimated positions of the mobile automation apparatus in the environment as determined from one or more proprioceptive sensors, as well as in association with features extracted from depth data acquired from a depth-sensing device, for example as map data. The map data is later used by the mobile automation apparatus to navigate the environment based, at least in part, on further images acquired by the ceiling-facing image device.