Deployable Docking Station for Mobile Robots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mobile robots for industrial inspection face limitations in mobility and efficiency due to battery life constraints and the need for fixed docking stations, which restrict their operational range and accessibility to hard-to-reach areas.
Innovation Solution
A deployable docking station that provides consumable resources and support services to mobile robots, featuring a tethered power supply, magnetic anchor for surface engagement, and a control module for conditional transitions between coupled and decoupled states, allowing the robots to transport the station to desired locations and perform inspections independently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mobile robots use their own battery power sources, then mobility in hard-to-reach places is improved, but operational duration is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station is designed to be deployable rather than fixed, allowing it to be transported to different locations as needed. The station can be deployed to create a mobile recharging point that extends the robot's operational range without requiring the robot to return to a fixed base, thus maintaining mobility while extending operational duration.
2Duration of action of moving object
If mobile robots are attached to an external power source via tether, then operational duration is extended, but mobility is reduced due to physical restraints
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the power supply function from the robot by using a separate, deployable docking station that can be positioned independently. This allows the robot to operate autonomously without being tethered to a fixed power source, extending operational duration while maintaining mobility.
3Productivity
If fixed docking stations are used, then robots can recharge and perform tasks, but their operational range is limited to areas near the docking station
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station is designed to be deployable and transportable to different locations within the inspection area. This dynamic positioning capability allows the station to extend the robot's operational range to multiple distant areas while maintaining the full task performance capabilities of a fixed docking station.
4Reliability
If fixed docking stations are permanently attached, then they provide stable support services, but they are limited to particular areas where they can be permanently installed
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the docking station from permanent infrastructure, making it a self-contained, transportable unit. This segmentation allows the station to be deployed to multiple locations while maintaining stable support services at each location during operation, thus achieving both reliability and location flexibility.
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
Enhances the operational range and efficiency of mobile robots by enabling them to inspect areas beyond the reach of fixed docking stations, increasing maneuverability and inspection time while maintaining safety and reducing the risk of tether entanglement.
Implementation Method 1
magnetic anchor for surface engagement
Data Source
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AI summary
A deployable docking station for supporting at least one mobile robot is provided. The deployable docking station includes a housing and an anchor connected to the housing. The anchor can engage with a surface to maintain the position of the deployable docking station. The deployable docking station is further configured to couple and decouple with the at least one mobile robot. The deployable docking station can be configured to selectively alternate between a first and second condition. In the first condition, the deployable docking station is coupled with the at least one mobile robot and the at least one mobile robot can transport the deployable docking station to a desired location on the surface. In the second condition, the deployable docking station is de-coupled from the at least one mobile robot.