Elevator Call Coordination for Robots and Human Traffic
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyance systems such as elevators, escalators, and moving walkways are typically designed to carry only human beings, lacking the capability to efficiently accommodate robots or coordinate their interactions with elevator systems.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for coordinating conveyance system interactions with robots, including receiving elevator calls from robots, adjusting operations of elevator systems and robots, and managing elevator calls to optimize their use and interaction with human passengers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If elevator systems are designed to carry only human beings, then the system design is simple and focused, but the system cannot accommodate robots or coordinate their interactions
Solution Approach 1:
The elevator control system is enhanced to recognize and process calls from both human users and robots, enabling a single system to serve multiple types of users. The controller detects robot presence and adjusts its behavior accordingly, allowing the same elevator infrastructure to accommodate diverse user needs without requiring separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The elevator system dynamically adapts its operation based on the detected user type. When a robot is detected, the system modifies its response patterns, waiting behavior, and coordination strategies. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize performance for robot users while maintaining compatibility with human users, resolving the contradiction between versatility and complexity.
2Productivity
If the elevator system accommodates multiple elevator calls from robots and individuals, then resource allocation is optimized, but coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors elevator calls from both robots and individuals, detecting patterns and adjusting its dispatch decisions in real-time. This feedback mechanism enables the system to optimize resource allocation by understanding user behavior patterns while maintaining manageable coordination complexity through adaptive rather than purely algorithmic control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects robot users and adjusts its operation without requiring complex external coordination. The controller autonomously determines when to wait for robot calls, when to prioritize human users, and how to allocate elevator resources, reducing the need for external coordination infrastructure.
3Reliability
If the elevator controller waits for a robot to finish its task before responding to an individual's call, then robot task completion is ensured, but individual waiting time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller dynamically adjusts its waiting strategy based on real-time conditions. It monitors the duration of robot tasks and the urgency of individual calls, making flexible decisions about when to interrupt robot service. This dynamic approach allows the system to balance robot task completion reliability with individual user waiting time, adapting to varying operational contexts.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller implements periodic checks on robot task status rather than continuous waiting. It evaluates whether the robot has completed its task at regular intervals and responds to individual calls based on these periodic assessments. This approach ensures robot task completion while reducing excessive waiting time for individuals by not indefinitely delaying responses.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling a first elevator system comprising a first elevator car is including: receiving a first elevator call from a first robot for the first elevator system to transport the first robot from a first elevator bank on a landing to a destination landing; and adjusting operation of at least one of the first robot and the first elevator system.