Lawn Mower Robot RTK Mapping for Wire-Free Boundary Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lawn mower robots require complex and precise installation of perimeter wires or initial GPS mapping, which limits their flexibility and precision, especially when encountering obstacles like trees and shrubs, and can be affected by signal reduction near certain elements.
Innovation Solution
A lawn mower robot equipped with RTK GPS, radar or ultrasound sensors, and a processing module that autonomously maps the cutting zone by detecting edges and obstacles, associating GPS coordinates with detected points, and storing this information for precise navigation and adaptation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If perimeter wire is installed to delimit the working area, then the robot can move autonomously without escaping, but the installation becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the perimeter wire constraint entirely by using GPS/RTK positioning to define virtual boundaries. The working area is delimited through coordinate-based fencing rather than physical wires, extracting the boundary definition from the physical domain to the digital domain.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical perimeter wire system is replaced with an electronic positioning system using GPS satellites and RTK ground stations. The physical wire constraint is substituted with digital coordinate boundaries that the robot navigates using electronic positioning data.
2Adaptability or versatility
If GPS localisation technology is used to overcome perimeter wire requirements, then the robot can operate more flexibly, but the precision is significantly reduced near obstacles like plants and walls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces RTK ground stations as intermediary elements that mediate between the GPS satellites and the robot. These ground stations provide correction signals that compensate for GPS signal degradation near obstacles, acting as intermediaries to restore positioning precision in challenging environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positioning parameter from standard GPS accuracy to RTK-level precision by using differential correction signals. This parameter change transforms the positioning accuracy from meter-level to centimeter-level, overcoming the precision loss near obstacles.
3Reliability
If initial mapping of the working area is performed to load references in the robot, then the robot can navigate using fixed references, but the operation becomes time-consuming and the robot loses flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs self-mapping by autonomously exploring the working area and automatically building its own coordinate reference system. Instead of requiring external mapping services, the robot services itself by collecting positioning data and constructing its navigation map during initial operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation reference system transitions from static pre-loaded maps to dynamic real-time mapping. The robot continuously updates its understanding of the working area boundaries and obstacles based on ongoing GPS/RTK positioning data, making the reference system adaptive rather than fixed.
4Reliability
If perimeter wire is used to delimit obstacles, then the robot can avoid striking obstacles, but the system requires precise and accurate wire positioning throughout the working area
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical wire-based obstacle delimitation is replaced with an electronic virtual fence system defined by GPS coordinates. Obstacles are marked through digital coordinate points rather than physical wire placement, eliminating the need for precise mechanical wire positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The obstacle delimitation transitions from two-dimensional wire placement on the ground to three-dimensional satellite-based positioning. The GPS/RTK system provides spatial coordinates in three dimensions, allowing precise obstacle location definition without physical wire installation.
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 robot can operate flexibly and precisely without pre-installed perimeter wires, adapt to changing environments, and maintain reliable navigation even with reduced GPS signal precision, ensuring safe and efficient cutting operations.
Implementation Method 1
The robot (1) comprises a device (4) of the GPS type configured for deriving coordinates regarding a GPS position of the robot (1)
Implementation Method 2
The robot (1) comprises at least one sensor (5), preferably of the radar type or of the ultrasound type, configured to detect the presence of grass and/or obstacles (6) in the cutting zone (A)
Implementation Method 3
The robot (1) comprises at least one sensor (5), preferably of the radar type or of the ultrasound type, configured to detect the presence of grass and/or obstacles (6) in the cutting zone (A)
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a lawn mower robot which includes grass cutting means for performing an operation for cutting grass, movement means configured for moving the lawn mower robot, a device of the GPS type, configured for deriving coordinates regarding a GPS position of the robot, at least one sensor configured for detecting the presence of grass and/or obstacles in a cutting zone and a processing module, coupled to the sensor and to the GPS type device in order to derive, by means of said sensor, a plurality of points belonging to edges of a cutting zone or defining obstacles in the cutting zone, and associating with said points GPS coordinates derived using the GPS type device.