Autonomous Baggage Carts With Scanner-Based Routing Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional baggage handling systems (BHS) are resource-intensive, prone to routing errors, and require significant manual labor, leading to delays and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
Automated and autonomous baggage handling systems, including conveyors, baggage carts, and control systems that utilize on-board computers, sensors, and vision systems to navigate, track, and manage baggage, reducing the need for manual handling and enhancing traceability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated and autonomous baggage handling systems are implemented, then productivity and worker safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The baggage handling system is divided into independent autonomous carts, each capable of self-navigation and self-management. Each cart operates as an independent unit with its own computing device, sensors, and navigation capabilities, allowing the system to scale without proportionally increasing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous carts perform self-navigation, self-loading, and self-tracking functions without requiring centralized control for each operation. The carts autonomously respond to requests from the centralized system, manage their own routes, and self-report their status, reducing the control burden on the centralized system.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If manual labor is reduced in conventional BHS, then worker safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Manual mechanical handling of baggage is replaced with autonomous robotic carts equipped with sensors, computing devices, and automated navigation systems. The physical interaction between workers and baggage is eliminated, while the system maintains operational simplicity through automated decision-making algorithms.
3Reliability
If automated navigation and tracking are implemented, then routing errors are reduced, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A centralized control system acts as an intermediary between autonomous carts and the baggage handling infrastructure. The centralized system receives location requests from carts, processes routing information, and provides navigation guidance, thereby reducing the precision burden on individual cart sensors while maintaining high routing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where autonomous carts self-report their location and status to the centralized control system. The centralized system monitors cart positions, verifies routing accuracy, and provides real-time corrections if deviations are detected, ensuring high reliability without requiring ultra-precise measurement systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations are directed to a computer-implemented method that includes broadcasting, by one or more computing devices, a request that indicates a need for a number of carts at a location; receiving confirmation from one or more carts that accept the request, the one or more carts are carts that are close to the location; sending instructions to the one or more carts instructing the one or more carts to navigate to the location; receiving, from a scanner of a baggage handling system, scanned data of baggage that is loaded into the one or more carts assigned to transport the baggage; receiving, from each of the one or more carts, a message indicating the cart is full; and sending instructions to each cart to navigate to a destination of the baggage according to a list of bags inside each cart.