Abstract: A system and method for controlling forces applied on a hydrodynamic body adhered to and moving along a hull of a sailing ship, the hydrodynamic body comprises at least two wheels, enabling the hydrodynamic body to move along the hull of the ship. The system comprising: at least two mechanical fingers preventing detachment of the hydrodynamic body from the ship, at least two dynamic wings located at each side of the hydrodynamic body, adding stabilization to the hydrodynamic body, an array of sensors and a controller receiving input from the array of sensors controlling and monitoring the state of the mechanical fingers and dynamic wings and the hydrodynamic body's adhesion status, and providing instructions to each mechanical finger and dynamic wing to open to a desired position to increase or reduce adhesion of the hydrodynamic body to the ship, thereby optimizing the adhesion and stability of the hydrodynamic body.

Abstract: A system configured to operate in an unknown, possibly texture-less environment, with possibly self-similar surfaces, and comprising a plurality of platforms configured to operate as mobile platforms, where each of these platforms comprises an optical depth sensor, and one platform operates as a static platform and comprising at least one optical projector. Upon operating the system, the static platform projects a pattern onto the environment, wherein each of the mobile platforms detects the pattern or a part thereof by its respective optical depth sensor while moving, and wherein information obtained by the optical depth sensors, is used to determine moving instructions for mobile platforms within that environment. Optionally, the system operates so that every time period another mobile platform from among the plurality of platforms, takes the role of operating as the static platform, while the preceding platform returns to operate as a mobile platform.

Abstract: A system configured to operate in an unknown, possibly texture-less environment, with possibly self-similar surfaces, and comprising a plurality of platforms configured to operate as mobile platforms, where each of these platforms comprises an optical depth sensor, and one platform operates as a static platform and comprising at least one optical projector. Upon operating the system, the static platform projects a pattern onto the environment, wherein each of the mobile platforms detects the pattern or a part thereof by its respective optical depth sensor while moving, and wherein information obtained by the optical depth sensors, is used to determine moving instructions for mobile platforms within that environment. Optionally, the system operates so that every time period another mobile platform from among the plurality of platforms, takes the role of operating as the static platform, while the preceding platform returns to operate as a mobile platform.

Abstract: A system configured to operate in an unknown, possibly texture-less environment, with possibly self-similar surfaces, and comprising a plurality of platforms configured to operate as mobile platforms, where each of these platforms comprises an optical depth sensor, and one platform operates as a static platform and comprising at least one optical projector. Upon operating the system, the static platform projects a pattern onto the environment, wherein each of the mobile platforms detects the pattern or a part thereof by its respective optical depth sensor while moving, and wherein information obtained by the optical depth sensors, is used to determine moving instructions for mobile platforms within that environment. Optionally, the system operates so that every time period another mobile platform from among the plurality of platforms, takes the role of operating as the static platform, while the preceding platform returns to operate as a mobile platform.

Abstract: A method of evaluating motion estimation between a pair of digitized images includes receiving a distance map between a source block in a source image and all the blocks in a search area in a target image, scanning each column of the distance map, and saving indices of a minimum distance value for each column, scanning each row of the distance map, and saving indices of a minimum distance value for each row, locating candidate lines that pass through at least some local minima points that correspond to locations in the distance map of the minimum distance value in each of the columns or the minimum distance value in each of the rows determining a confidence level for each candidate line that passes through at least some of the local minima points, and selecting those candidate lines whose confidence level is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A method of evaluating motion estimation between a pair of digitized images includes receiving a distance map between a source block in a source image and all the blocks in a search area in a target image, scanning each column of the distance map, and saving indices of a minimum distance value for each column, scanning each row of the distance map, and saving indices of a minimum distance value for each row, locating candidate lines that pass through at least some local minima points that correspond to locations in the distance map of the minimum distance value in each of the columns or the minimum distance value in each of the rows determining a confidence level for each candidate line that passes through at least some of the local minima points, and selecting those candidate lines whose confidence level is greater than a predetermined threshold value.