Abstract

A navigation system for guiding an automatically guided vehicle along a variable, predetermined path defined by a plurality of fixed, spaced-apart points. A target is positioned at each spaced-apart point defining the target which includes first and light sources spaced horizontally apart. A light receiving camera and lens is mounted on the vehicle for receiving the first and second horizontally spaced-apart light beams and focusing the beams on a detector. The detector includes an access on which the light beams are focused. A difference in distance from the vertical axis of the detector of the two spaced-apart points represents a deviation from the proper path of the vehicle to the target and an equality of distance of the two spaced-apart points to the vertically extending axis represents the proper path to the target. A vehicle controller controls the vehicle position in relation to the target based on the information received by the camera and lens.