Mobile Robot Controller Proximity Regulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile robot control systems fail to effectively avoid contact with people when they are detected at close proximity, as they do not provide adequate control over the robot's actions within the range of its work mechanisms or gravity length.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method for controlling a mobile robot that includes a person detector, a position determiner to assess proximity based on the robot's work mechanism length and gravity length, and a regulator to modify the robot's actions to avoid contact by adjusting control gains and halting or modifying movements within defined ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot changes its moving path when a person is detected, then contact avoidance is improved, but when the person is within work mechanism length, the robot cannot effectively avoid contact because the reference does not provide action regulation in this close range
Solution Approach 1:
The space around the robot is segmented into multiple distance ranges: a first range based on work mechanism length and a second range based on gravity length. Different control strategies are applied to each segment - action regulation for the first range and path change for the second range - enabling tailored responses to different proximity scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
When a person is detected within the first range, the robot performs preliminary action regulation on its movement and work mechanisms before contact can occur. This includes adjusting control gains and modifying actions proactively, rather than reacting after the fact, thereby preventing contact before it happens.
2Reliability
If the robot regulates actions when a person is detected at close proximity, then contact avoidance is improved, but the robot's productivity and work efficiency are reduced due to action modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts the level of regulation based on real-time distance measurements. When a person is in the first range, full action regulation is applied. When the person moves to the second range or beyond, the regulation is relaxed or removed, allowing the robot to resume normal high-efficiency operations without unnecessary constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes control parameters (control gains) based on the detected distance range. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the robot can maintain safe operation near persons while minimizing the impact on its work capabilities, resuming full performance when persons are no longer in the proximity zone.
3Speed
If the robot immediately changes behavior when a person is detected, then responsiveness is improved, but this evokes change in person's behavior which increases likelihood of contact
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs preliminary, gradual action regulation rather than immediate abrupt changes. By progressively adjusting its movements and control gains when a person is detected in the first range, the robot maintains responsiveness while minimizing sudden behavioral changes that could trigger unpredictable human reactions.
Data Source
AI summary
In an apparatus for controlling a mobile robot having movement mechanisms and work mechanisms both connected to a body, actuators for driving them, and a controller for controlling an action of the movement mechanisms and the work mechanisms through the actuators, the controller comprises a person detector to detect a person located in a vicinity of the robot, a position determiner to determine whether the position of the detected person is within a first range or a second range, and a regulator to regulate the actions of the movement mechanisms and the work mechanisms when the position of the detected person is determined to be within the first range or the second range.