Human interacting automatic guided vehicle
AssigneeLingdong Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd
InventorsLiang SUI, Chiung Lin CHEN
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to automatic guide vehicles (AGVs) that are capable of interacting with human operators. Particularly, the AGVs can follow a human operator, lead a human operator, and receive and react to gestures from a human operator. The AGVs switches directions of moving to provide human operators with easy access to components of user interface on the AGVs. The AGVs are also capable of avoiding collision with other AGVs by yielding to AGVs with a higher priority level.
Claims21
A self-driving system, comprising:
- a mobile base comprising motorized wheels, wherein the mobile base has a first end and a second end;
- a console coupled to the first end of the mobile base in a standing configuration, wherein the console is configured to control the motorized wheels to move the mobile base forward and backward, the mobile base is moving forward when the first end is the leading end, and the mobile base is moving backward when the second end is the leading end;
- and
- a camera coupled to the console and configured to detect a human operator in motion and to allow the mobile base to follow the human operator.
A warehouse management system, comprising:
- a system controller;
- and
- a plurality of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) connected to the system controller via a network, wherein at least one of the AGVs is configured to interact with human operators by following a human operator or leading a human operator.
A method for operating an automatic guided vehicle (AGV), comprising:
- moving the AGV under a self-navigating/leading mode or a following mode, wherein the AGV moves along a pre-selected route under a self-navigating/leading mode, and the AGV moves behind a human operator within a line of sight of a camera on the AGV under the following mode;
- and
- switching moving directions of the AGV when the operating mode is switched from the self-navigating/leading mode to the following mode, and when the operating mode is switched from the following mode to the self-navigating/leading mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.