Elevator Coordination for Mobile Robot Package Pickup in Buildings
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of transporting packages with robots from a building, especially in multi-floor buildings, arises due to the need for coordination with various building systems, such as elevators and access control systems.
Innovation Solution
A control system is developed to manage the transport of packages by receiving indications of package receipt, generating acknowledgments, arranging elevator services, and monitoring the mobile robot's exit from the building, ensuring efficient communication and coordination with various building systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If a mobile robot is used to transport packages from a multi-floor building, then automation and cost savings are achieved, but coordination complexity with building systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
A control system acts as an intermediary between the mobile robot and building systems (elevator system, monitoring system). The control system receives indications from the robot, generates acknowledgments with route data, arranges elevator services by generating elevator calls, and monitors robot exit. This intermediary layer simplifies the robot's task by handling complex coordination with multiple building systems centrally.
Solution Approach 2:
The transport task is segmented into distinct phases: package receipt indication, acknowledgment generation with route data, elevator service arrangement, and exit monitoring. Each phase is handled by specific functions within the control system, allowing independent optimization and management of each sub-t task while reducing overall coordination complexity.
2Loss of time
If elevator service is arranged for the mobile robot, then timely transport is enabled, but communication and coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system generates an elevator call in advance as part of the acknowledgment process, before the robot actually needs the elevator service. This preliminary action ensures the elevator is scheduled and ready, reducing waiting time and enabling smoother, more timely transport without last-minute coordination complexity.
3Reliability
If the control system monitors the mobile robot's exit, then transport reliability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system generates a control signal to a monitoring system in response to detecting that the robot has exited the building. This feedback mechanism provides confirmation of successful transport completion, improving reliability by ensuring the robot actually reached its destination. The monitoring system tracks robot location and provides exit detection feedback to the control system.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for arranging a transport of a package from a building provided with an elevator system is described, in which the control system is configured to: receive an indication that the mobile robot has received the package, generate an acknowledgement to the mobile robot, arrange an elevator service to the mobile robot, and generate, in response to a detection that the mobile robot exits the building, a control signal to a robot controller, the control signal including data indicative on an assignment of a responsibility of a control of the mobile robot to the robot controller. A method and a computer program medium are also provided.