Autonomous Vehicle Celestial Navigation Using Coded Infrared Beacons
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current navigation systems for autonomous vehicles are limited in their ability to accurately navigate complex environments, as they often rely on obstacle detection and infrared patterns that can be interfered with by objects, making it difficult for vehicles to track their location and move independently in cluttered spaces.
Innovation Solution
A navigation control system that includes a transmitter emitting signals, a power source capable of wireless charging, and a receiver on the autonomous vehicle that uses these signals to determine its relative location within a working area, allowing it to navigate effectively by calculating azimuth and elevation angles and creating a map of its environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If infrared patterns are used for navigation, then the vehicle can detect obstacles and navigate, but the system reliability deteriorates when objects interfere with the infrared signals
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system is divided into multiple independent components: multiple transmitters positioned at different locations, multiple receivers on the vehicle, and separate signal processing channels. This segmentation allows the system to maintain navigation capability even when some transmitters or signal paths are blocked by objects, as other segments can compensate and provide alternative navigation data.
2Measurement precision
If multiple transmitters are deployed to improve location accuracy, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transmitters are designed to serve multiple functions: they emit infrared patterns for obstacle detection, provide coded signals for location determination, and can be integrated with existing environmental structures. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve high location accuracy using existing infrastructure rather than adding dedicated complex positioning equipment for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
Coded signals act as intermediaries between the transmitters and the vehicle's processor. The codes encode information about transmitter identity and signal characteristics, allowing the processor to accurately determine vehicle location by decoding which transmitters are visible and analyzing signal properties, without requiring direct complex communication protocols between all system components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If coded signals are used to differentiate areas, then the adaptability improves for complex environments, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses coded signals with varying parameters (code patterns, frequencies, modulation schemes) to differentiate between various environmental areas and features. By changing signal parameters rather than requiring physically distinct transmitters for each area type, the system achieves high environmental adaptability while keeping the physical device complexity manageable.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables autonomous vehicles to accurately locate themselves and navigate within complex environments with improved accuracy, even in the presence of obstacles, by using coded signals and multiple transmitters to differentiate areas and adjust cleaning behaviors accordingly.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared or other type of transmitter, which directs a series of infrared patterns in horizontal directions around the autonomous vehicle
Implementation Method 2
a device for capturing wireless energy to charge the power source
Data Source
AI summary
A navigation control system for an autonomous vehicle comprises a transmitter and an autonomous vehicle. The transmitter comprises an emitter for emitting at least one signal, a power source for powering the emitter, a device for capturing wireless energy to charge the power source, and a printed circuit board for converting the captured wireless energy to a form for charging the power source. The autonomous vehicle operates within a working area and comprises a receiver for detecting the at least one signal emitted by the emitter, and a processor for determining a relative location of the autonomous vehicle within the working area based on the signal emitted by the emitter.