Convertible Staircase Robotic Mount Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing entertainment devices, such as large displays and props, face challenges in movement and configuration, often requiring manual labor and limiting their use and effectiveness in various settings.
Innovation Solution
A robotic mount system that allows for the automated movement of entertainment elements in three-dimensional space, including electronic displays, projectors, and convertible staircases, enabling them to be positioned and reconfigured without direct human intervention, using a base and movable support with electric motors for six degrees of freedom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual movement methods (ropes and pulleys) are used to move props, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation and productivity deteriorate due to limited situations and effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical systems (ropes and pulleys) with an automated robotic system comprising a robotic arm, control unit, and sensor array. This substitution eliminates the need for manual operation while providing precise, programmable control over prop movement, thereby improving ease of operation without excessively increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system enables props to be moved and positioned automatically through programmable control sequences. The system can autonomously navigate, select targets, and execute movement tasks without continuous human intervention, allowing the entertainment system to serve itself in terms of prop management and scene configuration.
2Productivity
If ladders or stepping stools are used to move props, then the ease of operation is improved, but the productivity and adaptability worsen due to limited situations where they may be used
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is designed as a universal platform capable of handling various types of props (ladders, stepping stools, displays, set pieces) across different entertainment contexts (theater, film, live events). The programmable control and sensor array allow the same system to adapt to diverse prop types and movement requirements, greatly enhancing both productivity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic, programmable movement sequences that can be adjusted in real-time based on scene requirements. Rather than fixed mechanical arrangements like ladders, the robotic system can dynamically reposition props to various locations and orientations, enabling flexible scene changes and improving both productivity and versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fixed staircases are used as props, then the stability is improved, but the adaptability and ease of operation worsen due to inability to reconfigure
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system transforms fixed, static staircases into dynamic, reconfigurable props. Through programmable control, the system can move staircases to different positions, adjust their orientation, and integrate them with other set pieces in real-time, greatly enhancing adaptability while maintaining operational ease through automated sequencing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical reconfiguration of fixed props with an automated robotic system. The robotic arm and control unit can programmatically adjust staircase positions and configurations, eliminating the need for manual labor while improving both adaptability and ease of operation through precise, repeatable movements.
4Adaptability or versatility
If displays are mounted to walls, then the stability and position are improved, but the adaptability and viewer engagement worsen due to limited viewing angles and static presentation
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system enables displays to transition from fixed wall-mounted positions to dynamic, movable configurations. The robotic arm can position displays at various angles and locations, allowing adaptive viewing experiences that respond to audience position and scene requirements, thereby enhancing adaptability without excessive complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds spatial dimensionality to display presentation by enabling three-dimensional movement and positioning. Rather than being confined to a single wall-mounted plane, displays can be moved to multiple locations and orientations, creating immersive, multi-angle viewing experiences that greatly enhance adaptability and viewer engagement.
Data Source
AI summary
A convertible panel includes a number of sub-panels which are movable between a first position in which the panels extend in the same plane to define a unified panel and a configuration in which one or more of the panels are moved into other planes which allow them to form steps. Multiple of the rotated panels may form a sequence of steps, e.g. a staircase. The convertible panel may be moved via a robotic mount, whereby the position or orientation of the convertible panel may be changed.