Autonomous Robotic Lawn Mower Without Boundary Wires
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic mowers are limited by the need for boundary wires to define their operating area, which is time-consuming to set up and prone to inaccuracies, and lack comprehensive methods to ensure they service only desired areas.
Innovation Solution
A robotic vehicle equipped with onboard positioning, detection, and mapping modules, potentially using cameras and sensors, to operate autonomously without boundary wires by determining its position and understanding its environment, allowing it to stay within defined boundaries and avoid objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If boundary wire is used to define operating area, then robotic mower can operate autonomously within defined area, but setup becomes time-consuming and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the boundary wire component from the system entirely. Instead of using physical wires to define the operating area, the robotic mower uses onboard sensors (cameras, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors) and positioning systems (GPS, RTK) to detect and map boundaries and obstacles naturally present in the environment, eliminating the need for人工 installation of boundary wires
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical boundary wire system with an optical and electronic sensing system. The robotic mower uses cameras, LIDAR, and ultrasonic sensors to detect boundaries and obstacles, converting physical boundary detection into optical and electromagnetic field-based detection, thereby eliminating the need for physical boundary wires
2Reliability
If boundary wire is used to define operating area, then robotic mower can operate autonomously, but boundary definition becomes inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical boundary wire system with optical and electronic sensing systems including cameras, LIDAR, and ultrasonic sensors. These systems provide more accurate and flexible boundary detection by capturing visual and spatial data of the actual environment, allowing for precise boundary definition without the limitations of physical wire installation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses multiple sensing modalities (optical, electromagnetic, acoustic) and advanced positioning techniques (RTK-GPS with centimeter-level accuracy) to detect boundaries and obstacles. By changing from a single mechanical detection method to multiple sensing parameters, the system achieves superior measurement precision in boundary definition
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sensors and modules are added for wireless operation, then robotic vehicle can operate without boundary wire, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multi-functional sensors that serve multiple purposes. For example, cameras are used for both obstacle detection and boundary identification, LIDAR serves both positioning and mapping functions, and the same sensor suite operates across different lighting conditions and environments. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates multiple sensing modalities (cameras, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors, GPS) into a unified autonomous navigation system. Rather than operating as separate independent systems, these sensors are merged into a coordinated sensor fusion architecture that processes data from all sources simultaneously to achieve reliable wireless operation
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic vehicle may include one or more functional components configured to execute a lawn care function, a sensor network comprising one or more sensors configured to detect conditions proximate to the robotic vehicle, an object detection module configured to 5 detect objects proximate to the robotic vehicle using contact-less detection, a positioning module configured to determine robotic vehicle position, and a mapping module configured to generate map data regarding a parcel on which the robotic vehicle operates.