Mobile Robot Retractable Laser Range Finder for Damage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous mobile robots using SLAM technology face issues with accurately setting travel paths due to potential malfunctions from soiled or damaged laser range finders, which can lead to inappropriate path settings and increased risk of damage during operation.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robot design featuring a base with a spring-connected laser range finder that can move between an internal and external position, allowing for safer operation by reducing exposure to damage and enabling wider area object detection, while also incorporating a control circuit to manage the laser range finder's state based on external object contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the laser range finder is disposed outside the body to improve detection coverage, then the detection area is increased, but the risk of damage and soiling is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The laser range finder is made movable between an extended position (outside the body) for wide-area detection and a retracted position (inside the body) for protection. The base connecting the laser range finder to the body is configured to allow this dynamic position change, enabling the system to adapt between detection performance and damage prevention based on operational conditions.
2Measurement precision
If the laser range finder is disposed outside the body to improve travel path setting, then the navigation accuracy is improved, but the likelihood of contact damage is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The laser range finder is retracted into the body before operations that might cause contact, such as passing through narrow spaces or during charging. This preliminary protective action prevents damage before it can occur, while still allowing the laser range finder to be extended when needed for accurate travel path setting in open areas.
3Reliability
If the laser range finder is disposed inside the body to reduce damage risk, then the protection level is improved, but the detection coverage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the laser range finder position between retracted (inside body) and extended (outside body) states. When protection is prioritized, the laser range finder remains inside; when detection coverage is needed, it extends outside, allowing the system to optimize between these two conflicting requirements based on real-time conditions.
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
The mobile robot can determine a more appropriate travel path by using the laser range finder effectively, reducing the likelihood of damage and improving navigation, especially under furniture, by adjusting its position to minimize exposure during charging and object contact.
Implementation Method 1
a base that includes a spring and that is connected to the body via the spring... The spring generates a force that pushes the base from a front surface of the body to an outside of the body
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile robot that autonomously travels includes a body that has a front surface, a driver that is disposed in the body and that drives travelling of the body, a base that includes a spring and that is connected to the body via the spring, and a distance measurer that is disposed at an upper part of the base. The base is connected to the body in such a way that the base is movable to be in a first state in which the laser range finder is located inside the body and a second state in which the laser range finder is located outside the body. The spring generates a force that pushes the base from a front surface of the body to an outside of the body.