Mobile Robot Waypoint Navigation via Optical Message Reading
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile robots require skilled technicians to modify tasks or missions, limiting flexibility and accessibility for unskilled workers to change their operations.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a range finder, discriminator, data storage, and task manager that allows unskilled workers to modify tasks by reading optical or RFID messages at way points, defined by navigation landmarks, enabling changes without technical programming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile robots are designed with specialized tasks or predetermined missions, then reliability and predictability are improved, but adaptability and ease of modification deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes a reference map of navigation landmarks and stores optical messages (tasks/missions) at predetermined way points within the environment. When the mobile robot reaches a way point, it automatically reads the optical message and executes the corresponding task without requiring real-time programming or skilled intervention, thus maintaining reliability while enabling easy task modification.
2Manufacturing precision
If mobile robots require skilled technicians for task modification, then task execution precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses optical messages (such as optical tags or bar codes) as copyable carriers of task information. These optical messages can be easily created, modified, and replaced without requiring programming expertise. The mobile robot reads these optical messages using an optical reader, enabling unskilled workers to modify tasks by simply changing the optical message content while the robot executes them with precise control.
3Adaptability or versatility
If optical messages are placed at way points for task management, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces optical messages as intermediary carriers between the control system and the mobile robot. These optical messages serve as a simple interface that translates complex task instructions into a format that can be easily stored, transported, and read. The optical reader on the mobile robot decodes these messages, enabling flexible task management without requiring complex communication protocols or additional sophisticated components.
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
Enables unskilled personnel to modify mobile robot tasks or missions by updating optical or RFID tags, allowing flexible task management without requiring technical expertise, enhancing operational adaptability.
Implementation Method 1
a range finder for collecting range data of objects in an environment around the robot
Implementation Method 2
A reader reads an optical message at or near one or more way points
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a system for operating a mobile robot comprise a range finder for collecting range data of one or more objects in an environment around the robot. A discriminator identifies uniquely identifiable ones of the objects as navigation landmarks. A data storage device stores a reference map of the navigation landmarks based on the collected range data. A data processor establishes a list or sequence of way points for the robot to visit. Each way point is defined with reference to one or more landmarks. A reader reads an optical message at or near one or more way points. A task manager manages a task based on the read optical message.