AMR Sensor Mount Alignment for Precise Docking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) face challenges in precisely docking with docking stations due to misalignment, leading to inefficient battery charging and package handling, as existing navigation systems rely on fixed sensors that struggle to accurately align with the docking stations during movement.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of independently movable mounts for cameras and LiDar sensors on AMRs, allowing them to scan and center their field-of-view on docking stations, combined with stationary sensors providing additional data for precise alignment, enables the AMR to adjust its position and dock with greater precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If fixed sensors are used on AMRs for navigation, then the device complexity is reduced, but the docking precision deteriorates due to misalignment during movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the sensor mount movable rather than fixed. The mount can rotate and translate independently of the AMR body, allowing the sensor to dynamically adjust its orientation and position to maintain proper alignment with the docking station during the docking process, thereby resolving the contradiction between docking precision and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by separating the sensor mounting system from the AMR body. The sensor is mounted on an independent movable mount that can move relative to the body, creating independent degrees of freedom. This segmentation allows the sensor to be precisely positioned and oriented without being constrained by the AMR body's movement, improving docking precision while keeping the overall system manageable through modular design.
2Measurement precision
If independently movable mounts with multiple sensors are implemented, then the docking precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing the movable mount to perform multiple functions: it can rotate about an axis, translate across the body surface, and position the sensor. This multi-functional mount reduces the need for separate mechanisms for each degree of freedom, thereby improving alignment accuracy while limiting the increase in overall device complexity through functional integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service through the processor that automatically controls the mount's movement based on sensor feedback. The system uses the sensor to scan the docking station, automatically calculates the required mount adjustment to center the field-of-view, and actuates the mount accordingly. This automated self-adjustment reduces the need for complex external control systems while achieving high alignment accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If the sensor field-of-view is centered on the docking station during docking, then the docking precision is enhanced, but the time required for scanning and alignment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the sensor scan the docking station and determine its position before the AMR completes its approach. The processor then pre-calculates the required mount rotation and translation to center the field-of-view on the docking station in advance, allowing the AMR to proceed with docking without delays for mid-course corrections, thereby maintaining high docking accuracy while minimizing docking time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies feedback by using the sensor to continuously monitor the docking station's position relative to the AMR. The processor uses this feedback to dynamically adjust the mount's position and orientation, centering the field-of-view on the docking station. This closed-loop feedback system enables rapid, accurate alignment without requiring multiple scanning passes, thus improving docking accuracy while reducing the time lost to repeated adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
A docking system is provided. The docking system includes a docking station and an autonomous mobile robot (AMR). The AMR includes a body, a mount movably coupled to the body, a sensor coupled to the mount and having a field-of-view, a processor, and a memory. The memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including employ the sensor to scan the docking station, cause the mount to move independently with respect to the body in order to center the field-of-view on the docking station, and dock the AMR at the docking station using the centered field-of-view.