Abstract: A system for localizing a swarm of robotic platforms utilizing ranging sensors. The swarm is localized by purposely leaving some of the platforms of the swarm stationary, providing localization to the moving ones. The platforms in the swarm can alternate between a stationary and moving state.

Abstract: A system for localizing a swarm of robotic platforms utilizing ranging sensors. The swarm is localized by purposely leaving some of the platforms of the swarm stationary, providing localization to the moving ones. The platforms in the swarm can alternate between a stationary and moving state.

Abstract: A punch item management tool may be provided that coordinates and guides the process of taking a punch item from creation to completion. As one possibility, the punch item management tool may coordinate and guide the interactions between a creator of a punch item, a punch item manager for the punch item, and one or more assignees of the punch item. As another possibility, the punch item management tool may coordinate and guide the interactions between an individual serving the dual role of creator and punch item manager for a punch item and one or more assignees for the punch item. In either case, the punch item management tool may provide a user interface comprises of various views through which these individuals may interact in connection with one or more punch items.

Abstract: Systems and methods for autonomous, modular, and/or multi-segment vehicle barriers, such as portable vehicle barriers that may be automatically anchored to the ground in response to threat detection.

Abstract: The path of a lead autonomous vehicle moving through “deformable” terrain is shared between the lead autonomous vehicle and the following autonomous vehicles. The lead autonomous vehicle records distances to 3D obstacles and whether to drive through them, and the following autonomous vehicles will classify different “obstacles” that were driven through by the leader and allow the planner to drive through them. In “deformable” terrain, errors in wheel odometry will be recorded by the lead autonomous vehicle and the following autonomous vehicles are informed that similar problems will be encountered. These errors are sensed by discrepancies between odometry and inertial and visual odometry.

Abstract: Systems and methods for autonomous and safe sterilization, sanitizing, and cleaning, such as automatic sanitizing in autonomous vehicles and modification of autonomous sanitizing and access control upon human presence.

Abstract: The present invention describes a system for changing the properties of the lenses to create changes in focus, magnification, and optical stabilization without changing the shape of the lens or moving the lenses. It uses an acoustic wave that when propagated through the lenses, creates a standing wave that changes the diffractive capabilities of the lens. It involves the properties of many materials to change the diffractive properties when subjected to acoustic waves. The acoustic waves are generally accomplished with a piezo electric transducer or modulator. The frequencies used are in the RF range, depending on the substrate. Substrates used include glass and silicon, as well as more esoteric transparent materials. The system described in the present invention involves the development of a lensing mechanism that comprises one or more acoustio-optic modulator(s), a transparent or semi-transparent substrate where the modulation is applied, and a non-parallel standing wave being propagated in the substrate.

Abstract: This invention involves the effect of multiple rules of the road at different elevation profiles on the speed constraints and therefore the overall fuel efficiency. A vehicle designed to optimize fuel consumption that is comprised of the rules of the road that determine maximum speed, minimum speed, stop signs, streetlights, and/or changes in other rules that determine the allowable speeds of the road, a localization mechanism, and an optimization engine to optimize the fuel economy by selecting a speed profile within that maintains the vehicle within the assigned range of speeds and minimizes fuel consumption. A wide variety of methods that typically are used to optimize the fuel efficiency of human drivers operating standard vehicles can also be applied towards autonomous vehicles driving at different speed constraints and with different changes in the elevation.

Abstract: Atomic clocks (at both the receiver and emitter) are used to obfuscate the location of the receiver by providing a different mechanism to synchronize (other than the direct reception). Using this approach, there is no need for the emitter to emit directly to the receiver; only the reflection is necessary, and therefore, the location of the receiver (or receivers) is better obfuscated. Phased antenna arrays are used in RADAR for a variety of applications, including steering of beams and increasing the “aperture” of the antenna for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). The relative position of the emitters is known by means of using a Navigation unit. The beam-steering phase shifts are dynamically computed using the position of the emitters, and the atomic clock is used to synchronize the phase shifts.

Abstract: This invention relates to the development of an autonomous fire vehicle that is capable of performing one or more of the following functions: detecting water supplies such as a fire hydrant or other sources of water suitable for firefighting, detecting the location of a fire, detecting the location of other fire/police/first responder vehicles, detection of smoke, and analysis of smoke/fire content to determine type of fuel being burned. The autonomous fire vehicle contains a drive by wire kit, a database storing the collection routes, a database storing the collection routes, a database of rules of the road or other legal allowable behavior, sensors for detecting the pedestrians, cars, and other road obstacles, and a control system that controls the vehicle to follow routes while performing the above functions.

Abstract: Backing up and aligning tractor trailers to a loading dock is one of the most complicated tasks performed by a truck driver. The present invention provides aids, and/or autonomy, to the driver in both conditions: the warehouse, and the less structured origin/destination. The invention is designed to aid the driver with facilities to simplify the parking and loading dock alignment process. The invention controls the drive-by-wire system in the truck, controlling the steering, gearbox, acceleration, and break, to automatically back up the truck into the desired location. This is possible if the truck is equipped with a drive-by-wire kit. The invention controls one or more control signals to the drive-by-wire system while the driver controls the others.

Abstract: Mines and construction sites are pnme applications for automation. The invention is composed of a protocol that allows multiple machines to be coordinated from a single application. The invention provides what in classical control is called a coordination layer between the machines (4D-RCS). This coordination layer is currently provided by humans as machines only interact with each other in the physical world, but there is no infrastructure to have them coordinated from an autonomous control standpoint.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the development of a ground autonomous ambulance that is designed to follow routes that is comprised of an autonomous vehicle that includes a drive by wire kit, a database storing the collection routes, a database of rules of the road and/or other legal allowable behavior, sensors for detecting the pedestrians, cars, and other road obstacles, and a control system that controls the vehicle to follow routes and which is capable of carrying and securing a stretcher or wheelchair. The autonomous ambulance also has a robotic stretcher which is used for transporting patients from their residences or other emergency locations to the ambulance.

Abstract: This invention pertains to the development of an autonomous road surface marking vehicle that is capable of detecting road, pedestrians, cars, and other road obstacles and in which these autonomous vehicles provide several types of functionalities such as painting different lines, adding markers, removing markers, warning other traffic, etc. The autonomous road surface marking vehicle is designed to follow routes and mark road surfaces and comprises an autonomous vehicle that includes a drive by wire kit, a database sorting the routes, locations, and types of markings, a mechanism for detecting the road, pedestrians, cars, and other road obstacles, and a control system that control the autonomous vehicle to follow routes and operate the road surface marking device at the proper location.

Abstract: The path of a lead autonomous vehicle moving through “deformable” terrain is shared between the lead autonomous vehicle and the following autonomous vehicles with a much lower cost. The lead autonomous vehicle records distances to 3D obstacles and whether to drive through them and the following autonomous vehicles will classify different “obstacles” that were driven through by the leader and allow the planner to drive through them. In “deformable” terrain, errors in wheel odometry will be recorded by the lead autonomous vehicle and the following autonomous vehicles are informed that similar problems will be encountered. These errors are sensed by discrepancies between odometry and inertial and visual odometry. The behavior of the following autonomous vehicles may preclude them from creating accelerations that may slip as experienced by the lead autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: The invention involves the development of an autonomous street sweeper vehicle which can detect the presence of obstacles and pedestrians and is used to perform a variety of sweeping functions such as sweeping, vacuuming, blowing, scraping, and such types of functions on roads and a variety of different surfaces. This invention pertains to an autonomous street sweeper vehicle designed to follow routes comprising an autonomous vehicle that includes a drive by wire kit, a database storing the collection routes, a mechanism for detecting the curb, pedestrians, cars, and other road obstacles, a control system that controls the truck to follow routes while maintaining the truck at serviceable distances to the curb that improve the efficiency of the sweeper. The autonomous street sweeper convoy communicates with each other via radios or other methods and a lead vehicle which could be functional or non-functional accompanies several autonomous street sweeper vehicles as part of a convey.

Abstract: This invention pertains to the development of a drone that can pour a variety of chemical agents such as oxidizers, silica gelling agents, enzymes, and neutralizers onto areas contaminated with chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. These decontaminants are known to be effective at destroying both chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction simultaneously. The use of a drone to destroy the chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction is highly beneficial since it allows the exposed toxic areas to be remotely decontaminated without the presence of humans. Some of these methods of decontamination are non-toxic and environmentally friendly so it can also be used to pour or spray these agents on humans that are exposed to chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction to safely destroy these agents.

Abstract: As autonomous vehicles are starting to become a reality, accurate path following is needed. Pure Pursuit and Vector Pursuit algorithms are commonly used to control the steering actuators. Unfortunately, these algorithms do not take under consideration that real world actuators have steering rates that have maximum acceleration and speed of the changes to the steering and therefore the curvature rates of the vehicle as it is following a trajectory. This is even more evident in large vehicles that require significant torque to move the steering column like trucks and heavy industrial equipment. Therefore, if these vehicles attempt to closely follow trajectories at higher speed, the vehicles will undoubtedly understeer as the steering actuators do not have enough time/power to catch up with the curvatures dictated by the path even if kinematically and dynamically, the vehicles can safely perform the turns.

Abstract: Many railroad crossings have humped geometrical profiles that pose great risk to motor vehicles such as cars, buses, and trucks crossing the railroad tracks. There is a need to be able to safely detect these humped profiles on the railroad crossings. As a result, there is a need to develop a drone-based grade crossing inspection system to improve the efficiency of grade crossing inspections for humped conditions and other safety-related conditions such as visual sight lines, location of gates, lights, signage, culverts, rail deformations, grade crossings, drainage pipes, and other conditions. The drone that is used must be able to navigate both in the ground as well as in the air since it is necessary to be able to drive to detect the humped conditions and the visual sight lines while it is necessary to be able to fly in the air to detect the lights, signs, and gates.

Abstract: Postal, package, and grocery deliveries are performed routinely everywhere around the world. Currently, the delivery truck drives slowly, and the postman or delivery man goes from one house to another. The postman already has a box that he carries with the sorted letters for a few of the contiguous houses, stops the truck, and walks to the different houses in the bunch, and then moves the truck and goes to the next bunch of houses. In this invention, the package delivery truck will automatically follow the mailman while still staying close to the curb to minimize traffic issues. Here, the autonomous package or delivery truck could actually go in front of the mailman to look for a good spot for the next cluster, or can wait for the mailman that is close to the last house of the current cluster, pick him up, and drop off at the center of the next cluster, or at the first house of the next cluster. In addition, there are robots that replace the function of the human (mailman or grocery delivery man).