Lawn Mower Sensor Fusion With Backup Switching for Fault Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic lawn mowers rely solely on ultrasonic sensors for sensing data, which is insufficient for providing an accurate sensing function, leading to impaired normal operation in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
A lawn mower control method and device that detects operating data and sensing data from multiple types of sensors, fuses this data to obtain environment data, determines fault types in faulty sensors, and controls backup sensors to operate in place of faulty ones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If only ultrasonic sensors are used for sensing, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision and reliability of the sensing function deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple types of sensors (ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, and other operating sensors) into a unified sensing system. This merging allows the system to leverage the complementary strengths of different sensor types, achieving both reduced complexity through integration and improved measurement precision through multi-sensor data fusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensing system is designed with multi-functionality by incorporating sensors that can detect different types of environmental information (obstacles, terrain, vegetation). This universal sensing approach allows a single integrated system to handle multiple sensing tasks, improving overall measurement precision without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple types of sensors are used, then the reliability of the sensing function is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a backup sensor mechanism where alternative sensors are pre-configured to take over when primary sensors fail. This preliminary preparation ensures high reliability through redundancy while managing complexity by having predefined failover procedures rather than requiring complex real-time decision-making systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit serves as an intermediary that manages multiple sensor types and coordinates their operations. It fuses data from different sensors and handles fault detection and recovery, thereby improving reliability through coordinated multi-sensor operation while keeping the overall system complexity manageable through centralized control.
3Reliability
If fault detection and backup switching mechanisms are implemented, then the reliability of normal operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the control unit continuously monitors sensor operation status and automatically detects faults. When a fault is detected, the system provides feedback to switch to backup sensors, ensuring continuous reliable operation. This feedback-based approach improves reliability while managing complexity through automated rather than manual fault response.
Data Source
AI summary
A lawn mower control method and device, a lawn mower, and a storage medium. The method comprises: detecting operating data and sensing data of a plurality of operating sensors provided on a lawn mower, wherein the plurality of operating sensors comprise at least two different types of sensors; fusing the sensing data of the plurality of operating sensors to obtain environment data around the lawn mower; determining, when it is detected that a fault occurs in any of the operating sensors, a fault type of a faulty sensor according to the operating data of the faulty sensor and the environment data around the lawn mower; and controlling, if the fault type of the faulty sensor is a first fault type, the faulty sensor to stop operating, and a backup sensor corresponding to the faulty sensor to start operating.