AGV Visual Path Communication via Target Projectors
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Robots operating in facilities, such as automated guided vehicles, often have unclear intended paths, which can lead to potential obstruction of human paths, and existing systems fail to effectively communicate their movement intentions to humans.
Innovation Solution
A method involving target projectors that display visual markers along the robot's travel path, selected based on proximity to humans and objects, to communicate the robot's intended movement, with the system integrating object detectors and fleet management to adjust paths and notify humans of the robot's presence and movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If visual markers are displayed along the robot's travel path, then communication of robot movement intentions to humans is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional projectors and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The facility is divided into multiple zones with individual projectors displaying visual markers for different segments of the robot's travel path. Each projector independently displays markers for its specific zone, allowing the communication system to be segmented into manageable units that can be selectively activated based on the robot's current location and human presence in specific areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Visual markers are displayed in advance of the robot's arrival at each location along its travel path. The system projects markers onto the floor or surfaces before the robot reaches those areas, giving humans advance notice of the robot's intended movement and allowing them to clear the path or prepare accordingly.
2Loss of information
If visual markers are displayed continuously along the travel path, then robot movement intention communication is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Visual markers are displayed periodically rather than continuously - specifically, markers are projected only when the robot is approaching a zone or when human presence is detected in or near the travel path. The projectors are activated in periodic intervals corresponding to the robot's approach and deactivated when not needed, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining effective communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual marker display system dynamically adjusts its operation based on real-time conditions such as robot location, speed, and detected human presence. Markers are displayed with varying intensity and duration depending on the situation - brighter and longer when humans are nearby, dimmer or shorter when the area is clear, optimizing energy usage while maintaining safety communication.
3Reliability
If target projectors are selected based on human proximity, then safety is improved by reducing unnecessary displays, but measurement precision requirements increase for human detection
Solution Approach 1:
Different detection zones are established along the robot's travel path, with each zone having specific detection requirements and marker display protocols. Zones closer to high-traffic human areas have more sensitive detection thresholds and display markers more conservatively, while zones in inherently safer areas can use higher thresholds. This local differentiation allows the system to achieve high safety in critical areas without requiring maximum precision throughout the entire facility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses intermediary detection devices such as cameras, sensors, or RFID tags placed throughout the facility to detect human presence and relay this information to the projector control system. These intermediaries handle the complex measurement and filtering tasks, translating raw sensor data into reliable presence/absence decisions that trigger appropriate marker display responses without requiring the main control system to perform complex measurements directly.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed toward, a method that includes receiving a travel path for a robot in a facility, selecting one or more target projectors disposed along the travel path, and displaying, by the one or more target projectors, one or more visual markers along the travel path of the robot to communicate an intended movement of the robot. The one or more target projectors are selected from among a plurality of projectors disposed in the facility.