Abstract: A method of controlling a guided vehicle to run along a desired running route comprising the steps of; dividing a display screen into a predetermined grid, wherein the display screen corresponds an area over which the running route is desired, and each grid block corresponds to a portion of the area, establishing a plurality of symbol blocks each symbol block representing a running route segment having a predetermined characteristic, the characteristic being visually represented on the display screen and electronically represented by symbol block data, producing a layout diagram corresponding to the running route by entering a selected pattern of symbol blocks into the display screen grid, extracting electronic symbol block data for each selected symbol block entered and storing the electronic symbol block data, and producing map information corresponding to the stored electronic symbol block, such that the guided vehicle is controlled along the running route by the map information.

Abstract: A control system for an unattended transport car including a plurality of ground radio transmitters dispersed in a range within which the unattended transport car is movable, the transmitters transmitting positional information or the like by radio. The unattended transport car is provided with detecting means for detecting in a non-contact manner positional information concerning each of the ground radio transmitters memory means for storing a traveling course from a specific start point to a specific end point in the form of a series of pieces of positional information concerning the ground radio transmitters, and control means for effecting traveling course control and start-stop control every time the car passes one of the ground radio transmitters by constantly or intermittently comparing the positional information concerning each ground radio transmitter detected by the detecting means with the contents stored in the memory means.

Abstract: There is provided specialized conveying apparatus for transporting articles which are confined to a tube or chamber within which the cleanliness is maintained at extremely high levels by utilizing existing precipitator and other apparatus, the motion of the pallet on which the articles to be processed are carried being produced by a motor-driven truck which is isolated pneumatically from the article-carrying pallet but which is coupled magnetically to elements on that pallet so that the pallet is levitated in the controlled atmosphere and caused to move by the moving of a truck in the isolated driver portion of the apparatus, all of the dust and other contaminants which are produced in the frictional process of driving the truck being isolated from the clean chamber in which the article is being processed by reason of a nonmagnetic wall separating the driver portion from the conveying portion of the apparatus, the result being the ability to obtain previously unachievable, high levels of cleanliness in the cl