Mobile Device Drift Prevention for Site Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for creating interactive virtual movies of tangible sites are cumbersome, requiring significant effort and result in unsatisfactory navigation experiences due to heavy equipment, operator visibility issues, difficulty in navigating narrow spaces, and drifting during movement, which affects the quality of the produced movie.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device with self-aligning caster wheels, a motorized frame, imaging unit, and steering mechanisms that prevent drifting by rotating caster wheels to a trailing position, allowing smooth navigation and high-quality site imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a movable platform supports all system components for site imaging, then the system can perform virtual movie production, but the platform becomes heavy and difficult to maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate components: a lightweight mobile device for positioning and a separate imaging unit for capturing images. This segmentation allows the mobile device to be maneuverable while the imaging unit provides the necessary production capabilities without adding weight to the mobile platform.
Solution Approach 2:
A processor acts as an intermediary between the mobile device and the imaging unit. The mobile device communicates positioning information to the processor, which then controls the imaging unit to capture images at the correct positions and orientations, enabling coordinated operation without direct mechanical coupling.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the platform moves smoothly through narrow passageways and around obstacles, then site coverage is improved, but the platform requires significant operator force and becomes more complicated to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device includes automatic positioning features with sensors and a processor that automatically calculate position and orientation. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex manual operation, allowing the device to navigate independently through various site conditions while maintaining adaptability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the caster wheels are allowed to return to normal trailing position after direction change, then the platform stabilizes, but drifting occurs during initial advancement causing wobbling in the virtual movie
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary positioning calculations before image capture. The processor determines the correct position and orientation in advance, and the imaging unit is positioned accordingly before capturing the image, preventing drifting and wobbling during the actual imaging process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to continuously monitor the position and orientation of the mobile device, providing feedback to the processor. This feedback loop allows real-time adjustments to maintain precise positioning and prevent drifting during image capture, ensuring high virtual movie quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile device which supports apparatus for site imaging while in transit is disclosed. The mobile device comprises a plurality of wheels, an imaging unit having at least one camera and supported above the head of an operator, a control unit for monitoring and controlling operation of each camera and of generated image data so as to produce an interactive movie, a steering device for navigating the mobile device within the site, a measuring device for measuring the relative displacement of the mobile device, a computer for determining the relative location and orientation of the mobile device within the site and for processing data, and a monitor. In one embodiment, two of the wheels are self-aligning caster wheels, and a mechanism and method for preventing drifting during the initial advancement of the mobile device are provided. A rotating mechanism is actuated until each caster wheel achieves a trailing position.