Laboratory Mobile Robot Docking Alignment for Carrier Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile robots in laboratory systems face inaccuracies and imprecision in stopping at target positions, leading to gaps when docking with interface modules, complicating the transfer of sample container carriers.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous mobile robot with a transport module equipped with sensors and an alignment drive unit to correct misalignment, including angular and height adjustments, and spring-biased fingers to bridge gaps, ensuring precise and reliable transfer of sample containers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a common mobile robot is used for transporting sample container carriers, then the robot can move autonomously over the laboratory floor, but stop position inaccuracy and floor unevenness lead to gaps between the robot and interface module, complicating carrier transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The transport module incorporates an alignment drive unit that dynamically adjusts the transport surface's position and orientation after the robot reaches the interface module. This dynamic adjustment compensates for stop position inaccuracies and floor unevenness, enabling precise alignment without requiring high stop position accuracy from the mobile robot itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment drive unit acts as an intermediary mechanism between the mobile robot's positioning system and the interface module. It absorbs the misalignment caused by stop position inaccuracy and floor unevenness, mediating the transfer of sample container carriers between the robot and interface module despite the gap that would otherwise exist.
2Productivity
If stop position repeatability is around +/- 8 mm as in common mobile robots, then the robot can operate autonomously, but this imprecision creates gaps that complicate the transfer of sample container carriers between the mobile robot and the interface module
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment drive unit provides dynamic compensation for the +/- 8 mm stop position repeatability limitation. By adjusting the transport surface position and orientation after docking, the system ensures reliable carrier transfer despite the inherent imprecision in the mobile robot's stopping accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of transport surface position and orientation through the alignment drive unit. This parameter adjustment compensates for the stop position repeatability limitation, transforming an unreliable transfer scenario into a reliable one without requiring improved robot positioning accuracy.
3Reliability
If the transport surface is adjusted to compensate for misalignment, then reliable transfer of sample container carriers is enabled, but additional alignment mechanisms increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment drive unit serves multiple functions: it adjusts the transport surface position, corrects angular misalignment, and enables reliable carrier transfer. By combining these functions into a single multi-functional mechanism, the patent reduces overall device complexity compared to having separate mechanisms for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the positioning adjustment and angular alignment functions into a single alignment drive unit. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall system architecture while achieving the goal of reliable carrier transfer.
4Ease of operation
If spring-biased fingers are used to bridge gaps, then sample container carriers can slide across the gap during docking, but the spring mechanism adds device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-biased fingers act as an intermediary element between the transport surface and the interface module. They bridge the gap created by stop position inaccuracy, allowing sample container carriers to slide smoothly during docking while absorbing misalignment through their spring mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-biased fingers change the physical parameter of the gap distance by compressing or extending. This dynamic parameter change allows the fingers to bridge gaps of varying sizes caused by stop position repeatability limitations, providing flexible docking without requiring precise positioning.
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
Enables reliable and efficient transfer of sample containers by compensating for misalignments, reducing the need for additional trays and minimizing liquid sloshing and spillage, while allowing flexible docking and unloading in narrow spaces.
Implementation Method 1
the transport module has a pair of spring-biased fingers protruding in flush extension of the transport surface so that, upon docking, the gap in between the transport surface and the interface module can be bridged for sample container carriers to cross said gap by sliding over the spring-biased fingers
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a mobile robot (1) for a laboratory system (50), the mobile robot (1) being adapted for transporting sample container carriers (C) and for docking to at least one interface module (51) of the laboratory system (50), the mobile robot (1) comprising a driving base (2) which is adapted to move the mobile robot (1) over a laboratory floor (F) on which the at least one interface module (51) is to be placed, and a transport module (3) mounted to the driving base (2), the transport module (3) comprising a transport surface (4) for carrying sample container carriers (C) placed thereon, a sensor unit (5) for detecting misalignment in positioning of the transport surface (4) relative to the interface module (51) upon docking, and an alignment drive unit (6) for adjusting the transport surface (4) relative to the driving base (2) to compensate for detected misalignment.