Mobile Robot Imaging for Immediate Remote Area Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators of mobile robots in remote locations face delays when trying to observe areas that are not currently visible, as the robot takes time to move to the desired location, resulting in wasted time before the actual state can be assessed.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robot system that includes an image pickup unit, accumulation unit, and processing unit, which allows for immediate transmission of past imaging data if the area cannot be shot in real-time, and initiates a moving process to capture the desired area, enabling users to recognize the state without delay by displaying accurate and timely information on a remote terminal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the mobile robot moves to the designated spatial area to capture images, then the user can observe the actual state of the area, but the user experiences waiting time during the robot's movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by checking whether the spatial area is currently shootable before the user designates it. If the area is not shootable, the system proactively determines a movable range and identifies candidate spatial areas within that range, preparing image data in advance. This preliminary preparation eliminates waiting time when the user designates an area, as the system has already processed and ready the relevant image data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the approach based on shootability conditions. When the designated area is shootable, real-time images are provided immediately. When not shootable, the system transitions to providing pre-processed image data from the movable range, and further to candidate spatial area recommendations. This dynamic response strategy optimizes the balance between observation accuracy and response time based on current robot state and environmental conditions.
2Measurement precision
If the mobile robot waits for the user to designate a spatial area before moving, then the robot can capture accurate current state images, but the user experiences delay in obtaining any visual information
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary image capture and processing in the movable range before the user designates a specific spatial area. By pre-processing images in areas the robot can reach, the system ensures that when the user designates an area, the information is already prepared and can be transmitted immediately, eliminating delay while maintaining accuracy through selective presentation of relevant pre-captured images.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between providing real-time images when areas are shootable and providing pre-processed images from the movable range when areas are not shootable. This dynamic adaptation ensures continuous provision of visual information without delay, while maintaining accuracy by clearly indicating whether images are current or historical and presenting candidate areas with the most relevant pre-captured images.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile robot including an image pickup unit, further includes an accumulation unit configured to accumulate imaging data taken in the past, a reception unit configured to receive designation of a spatial area from a remote terminal, and a processing unit configured, when it is possible to shoot the spatial area received by the reception unit by the image pickup unit, to perform shooting and transmit obtained imaging data to the remote terminal, and when the shooting is impossible, to transmit imaging data including an image of the spatial area accumulated in the accumulation unit to the remote terminal and start a moving process in order to shoot the spatial area by the image pickup unit.