AMR Payload Support Layout for Scanner Blind Spot Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) face challenges in safely transporting equipment with supporting members, as these members create blind spots for the safety scanners, potentially leading to undetected obstacles during turns.
Innovation Solution
The system adapts the safety scanner's protective zones to ignore the area where the supporting members are located, using asymmetrically positioned supporting members and configuring the protective zones to minimize blind spots, ensuring safe operation even with heavy payloads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If supporting members are positioned near the laser scanners to enable AMR to move under the equipment, then the AMR can transport heavy payloads efficiently, but blind spots are created where obstacles cannot be detected timely
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting members are positioned asymmetrically relative to the AMR body, with at least one supporting member located closer to the center of the AMR than to the side. This asymmetric positioning optimizes the balance between enabling the AMR to move under the equipment for efficient transport and minimizing interference with the laser scanners' protective zones for safe obstacle detection
Solution Approach 2:
The supporting members are designed with specific local characteristics - they are positioned in zones where they do not interfere with laser scanner detection. The supporting members have optimized dimensions and positions that allow them to fulfill their structural function while maintaining detection reliability in critical areas
2Reliability
If multiple scanners are added to cover blind spots created by supporting members, then obstacle detection reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting members are pre-positioned in locations that are determined during design to minimize interference with laser scanner detection. This preliminary positioning avoids the need for additional scanners, as the geometric arrangement itself prevents blind spots in critical areas
Solution Approach 2:
The position parameters of the supporting members are optimized to balance transport functionality and detection reliability. By changing the positional parameters of the supporting members relative to the AMR body and scanners, the system achieves safe operation without requiring additional scanning devices
3Productivity
If the protective zones are made narrow to exclude supporting members, then false obstacle detection is reduced, but actual obstacles may not be detected timely during turns
Solution Approach 1:
The protective zones are configured dynamically based on the operational state. When the AMR is moving under equipment, the protective zones are adapted to account for the positioned supporting members. The system can switch between different protective zone configurations depending on whether the AMR is transporting equipment or moving independently
Solution Approach 2:
The laser scanners continuously monitor the environment and provide feedback to the control system. The control system uses this feedback to distinguish between supporting members (which are stationary and predictable in position) and actual obstacles (which may appear in the protective zones). This feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain narrow protective zones without sacrificing safety
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a transport system comprising an Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMRs) (1) and the equipment to be moved (2), which can be operated safely and efficiently within an industrial/commercial environment, while the AMRs (1), as well as the equipment to be moved (2), can be produced in a cost-efficient way. A particular object of the invention is to: providing supporting members (4) of the equipment to be moved, which have no or only a negligible impact on the safety system, providing equipment to be moved (2) which can carry heavy payloads, preferably of hundreds and thousands of kilograms; providing a safety sensor system for an AMR, which can provide protective zones (5) around the AMR and the equipment to be moved and where the supporting members (4) of the equipment to be moved (2) have no or only a negligible impact on the safety of transportation. Another object of the invention is the correct attachment of the cart/shelf (2) to the AMR (1) is ensured before and during driving.