Outrider Technologies, Inc.

This invention provides a system and method for reliably interconnecting a native gladhand on a trailer with an AV truck, in which the gladhand can vary in placement and type on the trailer front. A visually guided robot manipulator arm accesses the trailer front. The arm includes an end effector assembly that is arranged to visually navigate to the gladhand and engage the gladhand by latching onto a gladhand using a connection tool that includes a hinged gladhand/wedge capture assembly and a pressurized clamping connection plate that selectively engages the trailer gladhand seal. The capture assembly is arranged to accommodate different gladhand geometries in latching thereonto. The connection tool includes a hinge that is spring-loaded in both a locked and unlocked bistable state, and sensors monitor the state. The system can include passive or active compliance elements that accommodate moderate misalignment between the engaged gladhand and the robotic arm/connection tool.

A path for an autonomous tractor to move a trailer from a start spot to an ending spot has at least one path segment and a variation indicator that indicates a path variant for the autonomous tractor to follow for the path segment. The autonomous tractor follows the path variant to reduce wear caused by repetitive use of the same path by the autonomous tractor. The path variant may be selected as a least frequented path variant or may be selected as having carried the least amount of weight.

A trailer control box may receive a wireless message from a controller of the tractor. The trailer control box may validate and authenticating the message. The trailer control box may control an emergency-brake valve based on the message when the message is an emergency-brake command. The trailer control box may control a service-brake valve based on the message when the message is a service-brake command. The trailer control box may control at least one switch to operate trailer lights based on the message when the message is a light command. In certain embodiments, autonomous-capable socket is mounted to a trailer and includes: a chamfered outer casing, a plurality of electrical connectors, a service-brake air aperture, and an emergency-brake air aperture. The autonomous-capable socket required a single autonomous connection by an autonomous tractor.

This invention provides a station for opening trailer swing doors that uses a sled with a manipulator arm and associated end effector/tool to perform the unlocking of the trailer lock rod, swinging open of the door, holding the door in the opened position and applying an resilient/flexible/springy retention clip thereto. The sled moves into and out of a confronting position relative to the trailer rear/doors to allow that trailer to drive into or out of the station at the beginning or end of the task. Closing of doors can also be performed at the station in the reverse order of steps. The door retention clip can be adapted with features that allow it to perform the various opening and closing tasks herein. The station can include tracks for guiding the sled between a non-interfering and interfering position with respect to the path of travel of the truck/trailer.

Systems and methods allow for controlling brakes of a trailer coupled to a tractor. The systems and methods utilize an inversion valve input between an emergency brake controller and a trailer connection at the tractor. The inversion valve receives a supply air from an output of the emergency brake controller, and a control air output from a treadle valve of the tractor. Depending on the control air, the emergency brakes at the tractor may be released/activated to simulate service brake control without requiring connecting the tractor to the trailer service brake line.

A system and method for allowing failover between an autonomously controlled braking system and a human controlled braking system in a truck having pneumatic brake lines is provided. A cab-mounted brake actuator is arranged to be handled by the human operator and is arranged to selectively deliver pressurized air to truck brakes and a trailer brake air supply. A controller performs autonomous braking operations in response to control inputs and senses when a human operator is handling the actuator. A plurality of valves, interconnected between a pressurized air source on the truck, the actuator, the truck brakes and the trailer brake air supply, are responsive to the controller, and are arranged to override selective delivery of pressurized air to the truck brakes of the truck and the trailer brake air supply in response to the autonomous braking operations in favor of selective delivery of pressurized air via the actuator.

A trailer control box may receive a wireless message from a controller of the tractor. The trailer control box may validate and authenticating the message. The trailer control box may control an emergency-brake valve based on the message when the message is an emergency-brake command. The trailer control box may control a service-brake valve based on the message when the message is a service-brake command. The trailer control box may control at least one switch to operate trailer lights based on the message when the message is a light command. In certain embodiments, autonomous-capable socket is mounted to a trailer and includes: a chamfered outer casing, a plurality of electrical connectors, a service-brake air aperture, and an emergency-brake air aperture. The autonomous-capable socket required a single autonomous connection by an autonomous tractor.

A system and method for operation of an autonomous vehicle (AV) yard truck is provided. A processor facilitates autonomous movement of the AV yard truck, and connection to and disconnection from trailers. A plurality of sensors are interconnected with the processor that sense terrain/objects and assist in automatically connecting/disconnecting trailers. A server, interconnected, wirelessly with the processor, that tracks movement of the truck around and determines locations for trailer connection and disconnection. A door station unlatches/opens rear doors of the trailer when adjacent thereto, securing them in an opened position via clamps, etc. The system computes a height of the trailer, and/or if landing gear of the trailer is on the ground and interoperates with the fifth wheel to change height, and whether docking is safe, allowing a user to take manual control, and optimum charge time(s). Reversing sensors/safety, automated chocking, and intermodal container organization are also provided.

Systems and methods determine an angle of an articulated trailer relative to a tractor that the trailer is hitched to. An encoder is positioned beneath a fifth-wheel of a tractor to couples with a kingpin of the trailer when the trailer is hitched to the tractor. The coupler has a rotating shaft that may include pins that physically interact with the kingpin and/or may include a magnet that magnetically attaches to the kingpin. A clearance and cleaning block may be positioned on the spring plate to interact with a bottom surface of a kingpin of the trailer during hitching of the trailer to the tractor. A LIDAR attached to the tractor may detect a front end of the trailer to determine the trailer angle relative to the tractor.

Automated jackstand systems and methods deploy a jackstand to support a front end of a trailer parked at an automated loading dock. The jackstand prevents collapse of the trailer's landing gear and prevents upending of the trailer during loading and unloading. Advantageously, by deploying the jackstand automatically, presence of personnel in the yard where tractors and trailers are moving is not required.