Collaborative Transport Robot Control Across Manual and Autonomous Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current logistics systems face challenges such as high physical and mental strain for operators due to long distances and complex transport processes, leading to fatigue, incorrect transport, and increased accident risks, particularly in the interaction between manual and autonomous zones in cargo transport.
Innovation Solution
A logistics system that incorporates a transport robot with a movement platform, load receiving area, drive device, and controller, capable of autonomous operation and external control, processing sequences of actions including autonomous self-actions and collaborative interactions with operators to optimize transport processes and eliminate zone separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If operators use manually guided pallet trucks to transport loads, then the transport process can be performed with simple equipment, but the operators experience high physical and mental strain leading to fatigue and increased accident risks
Solution Approach 1:
The transport robot is equipped with autonomous navigation capabilities, sensors, and a controller that enable it to perform transport tasks independently without continuous human intervention. The robot autonomously navigates to pickup locations, transports loads, and delivers them to destinations, making the system self-serving and eliminating operator fatigue while maintaining transport accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system (operators guiding pallet trucks) with an autonomous robotic system equipped with electronic sensors, controllers, and automated navigation. This substitution eliminates the need for human operators to physically guide transport equipment, reducing physical strain and mental demand while improving transport reliability.
2Reliability
If separate manual and autonomous zones are established, then the movement spaces of operators and autonomous vehicles can be separated, but this creates zone boundaries that require transfer areas and increase overall throughput time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the manual and autonomous zones into a single integrated work area where the transport robot operates autonomously alongside human operators without physical or virtual zone boundaries. This integration eliminates the need for separate transfer areas and reduces throughput time while maintaining safety through the robot's autonomous navigation and collision avoidance capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The transport robot is designed to operate universally across the entire work area, performing transport tasks in both previously manual and autonomous zones. The robot's multi-functional design allows it to navigate, transport loads, and deliver goods throughout the integrated space, eliminating the need for separate zone-specific equipment and transfer areas.
3Productivity
If a high number of loads are transported daily, then the logistics system achieves high productivity, but the operators experience increased mental demand leading to fatigue and incorrect transport
Solution Approach 1:
The transport robot autonomously performs all transport tasks including navigating to pickup locations, identifying loads, transporting them, and delivering to destinations. The robot's autonomous operation eliminates operator mental demand while maintaining high transport volume, as the robot can continuously operate without fatigue or errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The transport robot is equipped with sensors and a controller that provide real-time feedback on its position, load status, and navigation. This feedback mechanism enables the robot to autonomously make decisions and adjustments during transport operations, ensuring accurate delivery of a high number of loads without operator intervention and eliminating mental demand associated with tracking and identifying loads.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a logistics and transport technology for conveying goods within the working area of a logistics system. It comprises a transport robot with an associated control method and a logistics controller with an associated control method. The transport robot (1) comprises a motion platform (10), a load receiving area (11), a drive unit (12), at least one controller (20), and an external control interface (21). The external control interface (21) is configured to receive an external input (EE, EE*), and the controller (20) is configured to control the drive unit (12) temporarily in a self-control mode (STE) based on autonomously generated course specifications (KV) and temporarily in an external control mode (STF) based on course specifications (KV) generated according to the external input (EE, EE*).The controller (20) processes an action sequence (AF) that comprises multiple actions (Ai) for fulfilling a transport order (LT) in a predetermined order. An action (Ai) is a machine-readable data object and includes a target state at the end of the action (Ai) as the target state (S1). The actions (A1, A2, A3) in the action sequence (AF) comprise at least two different types of actions: an autonomous self-action (A_e), which stipulates that the transport robot (1) operates in self-control mode (STE) to autonomously reach the respective target state (S1), and a collaborative interaction (A_k), in which the transport robot (1) requests an external input (EE) from an operator (KA) and operates in external control mode (STF) according to the external input (EE). The figure intended for publication with the summary is Figure 1.