Autonomous Navigation Map Accuracy via Dynamic Obstacle Expiration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous movement devices face challenges in detecting and updating maps to accurately reflect changes in their environment, particularly with small obstacles that are not detected by laser range scanners and remain on the map even after they have been removed, leading to inefficient navigation.
Innovation Solution
The device incorporates an obstacle detector, a map creator, an obstacle canceller, and a router that utilize a combination of sensors, including collision sensors and laser range scanners, to create and update environment maps, cancel obsolete obstacle information over time, and set efficient moving routes based on the updated map data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the device uses laser range scanner to detect obstacles, then it can detect distant obstacles, but it cannot detect small obstacles that are removed from the environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic obstacle information management by introducing time-based decay mechanisms. The map creator continuously updates obstacle information with timestamp data, and the system automatically adjusts the validity period of obstacle records. This dynamic approach allows the map to adapt to environmental changes, automatically expiring outdated obstacle information while maintaining current obstacle data, thereby resolving the contradiction between detection accuracy and information persistence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a feedback loop where the autonomous movement device continuously monitors its environment, compares detected obstacles with map records, and updates the map accordingly. When the device encounters an obstacle that is already recorded or detects that an obstacle has been removed, it feeds this information back to update the map creator, which then adjusts the obstacle information validity. This feedback mechanism ensures the map reflects the current environment state, solving the problem of persistent obsolete obstacle information.
2Reliability
If the device maintains obstacle information on the map for long periods, then it can avoid missed obstacles, but it creates unnecessary obstacle avoidance for removed obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic time-based validation to obstacle information, where each obstacle record includes a creation timestamp and a validity duration. The map creator automatically evaluates whether obstacle information remains valid based on the elapsed time since detection. This dynamic approach balances reliability and productivity by maintaining obstacle information long enough to ensure safety while automatically removing expired records that would cause unnecessary avoidance behaviors, thus improving movement efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of obstacle information from static permanent records to dynamic time-limited records. By introducing temporal parameters (creation time, validity period, expiration time) to obstacle data, the system can automatically adjust whether an obstacle should be avoided based on its age and current validity. This parameter transformation allows the system to maintain high reliability for recent obstacles while automatically eliminating outdated obstacle information that would reduce productivity.
3Measurement precision
If the device frequently updates the environment map, then it maintains accurate obstacle information, but it increases processing time and computational load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates the time-based validation function from the complete map updating process. Instead of performing full map updates on every detection cycle, the system extracts only the temporal validation component, checking whether existing obstacle information has expired. This extraction allows the system to maintain high map accuracy by validating obstacle timestamps while significantly reducing processing time by avoiding redundant full-map regeneration, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and time consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous movement device includes an obstacle detector, a map creator, an obstacle canceller, and a router. The obstacle detector detects an obstacle. The map creator records information about the obstacle detected by the obstacle detector on an environment map. The obstacle canceller cancels the information about the obstacle recorded by the map creator from the environment map. The router sets a moving route based on the information recorded on the environment map.