Patent ID: 11951627
Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G | IPC B  G

Claim 6:
7. A distributed control system for an autonomous modular robot (AMR), vehicle comprising:
a top module processor disposed in communication with a lower module processor; and
memory for storing executable instructions of the top module processor and the lower module processor, the instructions executable to cause the top module processor and the lower module processor to:
navigate a bottom module, via the bottom module processor, the AMR vehicle to a target destination;
determine, via the bottom module processor, that the AMR vehicle is localized at the target destination;
transmit, via a transceiver disposed in communication with the top module processor, a request for a cargo unloading instruction set;
receive, via a top module processor, a response to a cargo unloading instruction set sent from the bottom module processor; and
unload the cargo, responsive to the cargo unloading instruction set, to a target destination surface via an unloading mechanism associated with the top module,

wherein the top module processor and the bottom module processor are further programmed to navigate the AMR vehicle to the target destination by executing the instructions to:
determine, via a top module sensory device disposed in communication with the top module controller, pose of the top module;
generate an instruction set for changing the pose of the top module based on an orientation of the AMR vehicle;
receive, via the bottom module controller, the instruction set for changing the pose of the top module; and
command, via the bottom module processor, an actuator disposed on the bottom module to change the pose of the top module such that the pose of the top module shifts from an unbalanced pose to a balanced pose.