Patent ID: 8245807

Claim:
An automated vehicle comprising: (a) a vehicle body having a right side and a left side, the right side separated from the left side by a centerline; (b) a power source comprising one or more batteries housed within the vehicle body; (c) first and second motors housed within the vehicle body and in operable connection with the power source; (d) a first running gear in operable connection with the first motor and a second running gear in operable connection with the second motor, the first and second running gears facilitating movement and supporting the vehicle body upon a surface; (e) a microcontroller in operable connection with the power source, the first motor and the second motor, the microcontroller being capable of performing logic operations; and (f) an optical system in operable connection with the microcontroller, comprising: (i) a light source positioned generally at an underside of the vehicle body and configured to project light on the surface; (ii) a right optical sensor positioned to detect light reflected from the surface to the right of the centerline and generate a right sensor output in response to a path on the surface; (iii) a left optical sensor positioned to detect light reflected from the surface to the left of the centerline and generate a left sensor output in response to the path on the surface; (g) wherein the microcontroller is configured to regulate an amount of power supplied to the first motor in response to the right sensor output and an amount of power supplied to the second motor in response to the left sensor output, respectively; and (h) wherein the left sensor output and the right sensor output are each functions of the brightness level of the path.