Work Area Determination for Autonomous Machines Without Boundary Wires
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for autonomous traveling work machines require pre-installment of boundary informing means like area wires or fences, leading to high introduction costs and installation burdens, limiting their use to fields with pre-installed boundaries.
Innovation Solution
A work area determination system and program that use an operation terminal with positioning devices to acquire and output work area information, allowing autonomous traveling work machines to determine their work area without pre-installed boundary informing means, using self-machine position information and terminal position information to control travel within designated areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If boundary informing means such as area wires or fences are installed in advance, then the autonomous traveling work machine can recognize the work area, but the introduction cost and installation burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses natural boundary features (trees, buildings, terrain) as copies or proxies for artificial boundary informing means. Instead of installing area wires or fences, the system captures images of the work area and uses image processing to extract boundary information from existing natural features, thereby achieving work area recognition without additional installation costs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical installation of boundary informing means (area wires, fences) with an optical and computational system. The autonomous traveling work machine uses cameras to capture images and image processing algorithms to determine boundaries, substituting physical installation with digital processing
2Reliability
If boundary informing means such as area wires or fences are installed in advance, then the autonomous traveling work machine can recognize the work area, but the installation burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses natural boundary features visible in images as proxies for physical boundaries. By capturing images and processing them to extract boundary information from trees, buildings, and terrain features, the system eliminates the need for physical installation of area wires or fences, thereby reducing installation burden
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous traveling work machine performs its own boundary recognition by capturing images and processing them independently. The system uses its own imaging devices and onboard processing capabilities to determine work areas, eliminating the need for external installation of boundary informing means
Data Source
AI summary
A work area determination system for an autonomous traveling work machine which is controlled autonomously based on self machine position information indicative of a self machine position, the work area determination system including an operation terminal capable of determining a work area. The operation terminal includes a positioning device for acquiring terminal position information indicative of a position of the operation terminal, a work area determination section that determines the work area based on the terminal position information, and a work area information outputting section for outputting work area information which is information relating to the determined work area.