Intelligent track and navigation for sensor carrier

A method for a transfer station to coordinate a robotic carrier track transfer, comprising:

• receiving from the sensor carrier, a first signal indicating that a transfer station is about to be entered, the first signal generated by the robotic carrier based on an interpretation of a pattern of holes;
• transmitting, to the robotic carrier, a second signal upon detecting that the robotic carrier has entered the transfer station and is situated on a track mounted on a rotating table, the second signal causing the robotic carrier to stop movement;
• responsive to the robotic carrier stopping, initiating at the transfer station a switch controller to rotate the rotating table to reorient the robotic carrier from a first track segment to a second track segment;
• determining that the rotating table has oriented the robotic carrier to the second track;
• and
• responsive to the determination, signaling the robotic carrier to proceed on the second track.

A transfer station apparatus configured to transfer a robotic carrier between track segments, comprising:

• a transfer station base plate, oriented horizontally;
• a rotating table comprised of a flat disk having a fixed radius, the flat disk situated parallel to and under the transfer station base plate, the rotating table coupled via an axle positioned through a vertical hole in the transfer station base plate to a switch motor;
• a table track segment having a length of a diameter of the rotating table, the table track segment situated under the rotating table and passing through the center of the rotating table;
• a first track segment coupler underneath the transfer station base plate situated radially out from the rotating table and placed with one end at the radius of the transfer station base plate, as to connecting a first track segment to the table track segment;
• a second track segment coupler underneath the transfer station base plate situated radially out from the rotating table and placed with one end at the radius of the transfer station base plate, as to connecting a second track segment to the table track segment, the second track segment not being parallel to the first track segment;
• and
• wall guards placed underneath the base plate at a perimeter of the transfer station, with a height sufficient to stop the robotic carrier on the track from falling off of the one end, wherein the wall guards have gaps sufficiently wide to allow the robotic carrier to pass from the first track segment to the second track segment.

A power management apparatus for a robotic carrier, the robotic carrier configured to operate autonomously, comprising:

• an on-board computer;
• a battery;
• a receiving power interface;
• a power circuit coupled to the battery and to the on-board computer;
• and
• a power main connected to the on-board computer thereby powering the on-board computer,
• wherein the power circuit is configured to receive a charging instruction from the on-board computer to couple the receiving power interface to a charger, and to shut off the power main to the on-board computer and to restore the power main upon a predetermined condition being satisfied.