Mobile Robot Hazard Detection With Integrated Path Response
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Retail environments face significant costs due to pedestrian injuries from walking hazards, with existing solutions failing to effectively integrate hazard detection and control measures with other operational purposes of autonomous mobile robots.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous mobile robot system equipped with sensors and a processing system that maps navigation paths, detects hazards, and takes actions such as alerting personnel or blocking access to prevent injuries, while also performing tasks like security, restocking, and inventory tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate systems are used for hazard detection and operational tasks, then hazard detection capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous mobile robot is designed to perform multiple functions including hazard detection, navigation, restocking, security, and customer assistance. The single robot platform integrates sensors for hazard detection with operational systems, eliminating the need for separate dedicated hazard detection systems while maintaining comprehensive safety monitoring capabilities throughout the retail environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines hazard detection functionality with the robot's navigation and operational task systems. The processing system integrates data from sensors used for both hazard detection and navigation purposes, merging previously separate systems into a unified platform that reduces overall system complexity and cost.
2Productivity
If autonomous mobile robots are deployed for operational tasks, then productivity is improved, but hazard detection capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The robot dynamically adjusts its behavior based on environmental conditions. When hazards are detected, the robot pauses operational tasks to alert personnel and block access to hazardous areas. The system continuously monitors the environment while performing operational tasks, dynamically switching between productivity-focused and safety-focused modes as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The processing system continuously receives feedback from sensors during operational tasks and uses this information to detect hazards. The system provides real-time feedback by alerting personnel and automatically responding to hazardous conditions, ensuring that productivity operations do not compromise safety monitoring capabilities.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An apparatus, system and method capable of providing an autonomous mobile robot hazard detection and control system. The apparatus, system and method may include: a robot having a robot body; a plurality of sensors physically associated with the robot body, and capable of detecting a hazardous condition in an operational environment; and at least one processing system at least partially physically associated with the robot body and communicatively connected to the plurality of sensors. The at least one processing system may include non-transitory computing code which, when executed by a processor of the at least one processing system, causes to occur the steps of: mapping a navigation path for the robot to traverse; detecting the hazardous condition along the navigation path based on output from the plurality of sensors; and instructing at least one action by the robot other than following the navigation path, wherein the at least one action at least partially addresses the hazardous condition.