Floor Surveying System Using Low-Positioned Laser Scanner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor surveying systems fail to accurately map floor surfaces and their boundaries due to obstructions like furniture, which hide baseboards, vents, and other structures from laser scanners, resulting in incomplete and inaccurate floor plans.
Innovation Solution
A self-contained mobile unit using wheel odometry data and a range-finding laser device (RFLD) performs simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) to generate 3D point cloud data, with a digital camera aiding in accurate positioning and edge detection, allowing for real-time display and generation of floor maps that include precise floor boundaries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a laser scanner is positioned at normal height for scanning, then it can easily capture walls, doors, and windows, but it cannot accurately capture floor surfaces and boundaries due to obstructions like furniture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the laser scanner in a vertical dimension close to the floor surface rather than at normal human height, enabling the scanner to capture floor boundaries and low-lying structures that were previously obscured by furniture and other obstructions
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of positioning the scanner at the conventional high position and trying to capture floor data indirectly, the patent inverts the approach by placing the scanner low near the floor to directly capture floor surface and boundary data
2Measurement precision
If furniture and displays are present in the room, then the space is functional and occupied, but these objects obstruct the laser scanner from detecting floor edges and boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
By positioning the scanner in the vertical dimension close to the floor surface, the system captures data from a perspective below furniture objects, allowing detection of floor edges and boundaries that would be obscured when scanning from above
3Productivity
If existing surveying systems scan from normal height, then they can efficiently capture vertical structures, but they fail to generate accurate maps of floor surfaces including boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension change by positioning the scanner near the floor, enabling simultaneous capture of both vertical structures and floor surfaces in a single scanning operation, thus maintaining efficiency while improving accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The low-positioned scanner serves multiple functions: capturing floor surface geometry, detecting floor boundaries, identifying low-lying structures, and mapping vertical structures, replacing the need for separate scanning operations
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
The system provides accurate and detailed 3D maps of floor surfaces, including edges and structures, enabling better planning for floor coverings and treatments by overcoming the limitations of existing technologies in capturing floor boundaries.
Implementation Method 1
a range-finding laser device (RFLD) to generate point clouds and maps of floor surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A floor surveying comprises a self-contained mobile unit that performs simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) using wheel odometry data and data from a range finding laser device (RFLD), a digital camera, or both. Point cloud data for mapping is collected using a RFLD positioned near the floor and scanning in a plane perpendicular to the floor. 3D point cloud data representing the floor surface and surfaces in apposition to the floor are displayed and used to generate a floor map or floor plan.