US 12,240,711 B1
Wheel wear monitoring systems for shuttles powered by linear synchronous motors
Michael Alan Bray, Elkhorn, NE (US); Vinodhkumar Somavar Muniappan, Redmond, WA (US); Divya Natarajan, Mt. Juliet, TN (US); Ganesh Krishnamoorthy, Seattle, WA (US); and Gurjinder Singh Dhami, Auburn, WA (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Jun. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/342,544.
Int. Cl. B65G 54/02 (2006.01); B65G 43/02 (2006.01); H02K 41/03 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 54/02 (2013.01) [B65G 43/02 (2013.01); H02K 41/031 (2013.01); B65G 2207/48 (2013.01); B65G 2811/0673 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
a track having a central axis, the track comprising a first rail segment on a first side of the central axis and a second rail segment on a second side of the central axis, the first rail segment having a first aperture and a second aperture;
a shuttle configured to transport one or more items from a first location to a second location using the track, the shuttle comprising a permanent magnet and a first conveyor assembly having a central axis that is transverse to the central axis of the track, wherein the first shuttle is configured to support the one or more items on the first conveyor assembly;
a set of electromagnets disposed along the central axis of the track, wherein the set of electromagnets interact with the permanent magnet to propel the shuttle;
a first camera disposed adjacent to the first rail segment;
a second camera disposed adjacent to the second rail segment; and
a controller configured to:
determine a first set of images of a first wheel of the shuttle using the first camera;
determine a second set of images of a second wheel of the shuttle using the second camera; and
determine a wear status of the first wheel based at least in part on the first set of images.