Patent ID: 8616320

Claim:
An automated vehicle comprising: (a) a vehicle body; (b) a power source; (c) one or more motors housed within the vehicle body and in operable connection with the power source; (d) running gear in operable connection with the one or more motors for facilitating movement and supporting the vehicle body upon a surface; and (e) an optical system comprising: (i) an optical sensor for detecting light reflected from the surface and generating an output in response to the light reflected; and (ii) at least two light sources associated with the optical sensor, each light source capable of projecting light on the surface; (f) wherein the optical system is configured to regulate an amount of power supplied to the one or more motors in response to the output generated by the optical sensor; (g) wherein the optical sensor has a finite viewing area divided into a right-side viewing area and a left-side viewing area by an optical centerline, and wherein one of the at least two light sources includes a right-side light source configured to project light in the right-side viewing area and another of the at least two light sources includes a left-side light source configured to project light in the left-side viewing area; and (h) wherein an optical barrier prevents the right-side light source from projecting light in the left-side viewing area and prevents the left-side light source from projecting light in the right-side viewing area.