Mobile Security Robot With Docked Drone for Extended Patrol Coverage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional mobile robots and drones have limitations in surveillance range and accessibility due to terrain and regulatory constraints, with drones facing battery life issues and restricted flight areas.

Innovation Solution

A mobile security robot equipped with a micro flight device, including a caterpillar track, camera, storage, charger, and controller, which allows the robot to transition from ground travel to aerial surveillance using a drone when necessary, enabling wireless charging and simultaneous control of both ground and flight operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a mobile robot uses wheels for ground travel, then it can move autonomously on accessible terrain, but it cannot reach inaccessible areas such as airports and nuclear power plants where drone flight is prohibited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurveillance rangeVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines a mobile robot and a drone into a single integrated system. The drone is stored within the mobile robot's body structure, creating a unified platform that can operate in both ground and aerial modes. This merging allows the system to access both drone-restricted areas (via ground travel) and inaccessible terrains (via aerial flight), resolving the contradiction between surveillance range and device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile robot is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a ground-based surveillance platform and as a carrier for aerial surveillance. The system can switch between ground travel mode (using caterpillar tracks) and aerial flight mode (deploying the drone), making it universally applicable to various surveillance scenarios including restricted areas and difficult terrains

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Speed

If a drone is made small and lightweight for flight, then it can achieve aerial surveillance, but its operating time is shortened due to battery capacity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflight capabilityVSAvoidoperating time

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile robot acts as an intermediary base station for the drone. It carries a charger that can recharge the drone's battery during ground travel or when the drone returns to the base. This intermediary charging capability extends the drone's effective operating time beyond what a single battery charge would allow, resolving the contradiction between flight capability and operating time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The drone operates in periodic cycles of flight and return-to-base recharging. Instead of requiring a single long-duration battery, the system uses repeated short flights interspersed with recharging periods at the mobile robot base, effectively extending the total surveillance duration through periodic operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Adaptability or versatility

If a drone is used for surveillance, then it can cover inaccessible terrain, but flying at night is prohibited for safety reasons

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveterrain accessibilityVSAvoidsafety compliance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of having the drone operate alone in potentially unsafe conditions, the system inverts the roles by making the mobile robot the primary operational platform for restricted areas. The drone is deployed only when terrain accessibility is needed during permitted flight conditions, while the mobile robot handles surveillance in drone-prohibited areas and can operate continuously including at night

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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

This system expands the surveillance area and duration by allowing the robot to access inaccessible terrain and areas prohibited for drone flight, enhancing coverage and efficiency by using both ground and aerial modes effectively.

Implementation Method 1

a traveling unit for enabling the mobile security robot to travel on a ground

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

a charger for charging a battery of the micro flight device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWireless charging: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS12174632B2Mobile security robot equipped with micro flight device and control method thereof

Publication Date: 2024.12.24 HL ROBOTICS CO LTD

AI summary

The present invention relates to a mobile security robot equipped with a micro flight device, which uses a camera mounted on the mobile security robot to patrol a predetermined area by the mobile security robot capable of autonomous driving and to patrol an area where the mobile security robot cannot move by the mounted micro flight device. Accordingly, there is an advantage in that it can efficiently patrol a much wider area compared to the patrol using only the mobile security robot.