This paper describes two related tests; to navigate an articulated lawn mower and to reverse a mobile robot with a trailer. In both cases the vehicles are to follow a prespecified trajectory. The navigation principal is based on measured directions to several identical beacons, consisting of strips of reflective tapes. The angular sensor is a rotating laser for the illumination of the beacons and a highly sensitive electro-optical receiver for detecting the directions to the beacons. A Kalman filter is used to combine the measurements from the odometers with the detected angles to the known position of the beacons. To measure the angle between the robot and the trailer the same laser was used. This was done by placing two reflective beacons on the trailer. The repeatability was within 2 centimetre at low speed. The navigation of these two different types of vehicles turns out to be, essentially, the same problem. The sensitivities are different. Emphasis is on robust state estimation.>

This paper describes an operating computer-aided system (COMET), which processes Automated Wire List data into many forms required in manufacturing, assembly, installation and automated check out of electrical and electronic systems. The presentation presumes an operating Automated Wire List system and specifies some of the value benefits achieved at North American Aviation, Inc. The COMET description is presented from the viewpoint of Manufacturing Engineering as an interface communication link between Engineering Design, at the point of information generation, and those Production functions which must build and check out complex wiring systems using this same information. Description of the computer programming involved is not included.