Mobile Robot Road-Crossing Collision Avoidance Using Multi-Sensor Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing delivery robots operating on pedestrian pathways face challenges in safely crossing vehicle roads due to potential overlook by drivers and sudden appearances of vehicles, which can lead to collisions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a collision avoidance method for mobile robots that involves sensing road conditions and hazardous moving objects using multiple sensors, initiating a collision avoidance maneuver by applying braking or reverse acceleration, and potentially generating audio or visual signals to alert drivers, ensuring safe road crossing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If delivery robots operate on pedestrian pathways and cross vehicle roads, then delivery efficiency and accessibility are improved, but collision risk with vehicles increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs preliminary sensing of road conditions using multiple sensors (cameras, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors) before initiating road crossing. The system calculates time-to-collision in advance and plans collision avoidance paths proactively, rather than reacting after a collision threat is imminent. This allows the robot to cross roads efficiently while maintaining safety through advance preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces audio-visual alert systems as intermediary devices between the robot and vehicles. These alerts serve as a communication bridge to warn drivers of the robot's presence and intended crossing, reducing collision risk without significantly impacting delivery speed. The intermediary alert system mediates the interaction between the slow-moving robot and fast-moving vehicles.
2Reliability
If robots use multiple sensors and collision avoidance maneuvers, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot employs a multi-functional sensor system where the same sensors (cameras, LIDAR, ultrasonic sensors) serve multiple purposes: detecting vehicles, calculating time-to-collision, identifying road conditions, and tracking pedestrians. This universal sensor approach achieves high safety standards without proportionally increasing device complexity, as each sensor contributes to multiple safety functions simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical collision avoidance systems with computational methods. Instead of physical barriers or mechanical warning devices, the system uses software-based time-to-collision calculation, path planning algorithms, and electronic audio-visual alerts. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining or improving safety performance.
3Use of energy by moving object
If robots travel at typical pedestrian speeds, then energy efficiency and safety on pathways are improved, but collision vulnerability on roads increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot implements dynamic speed adjustment based on real-time road conditions. While maintaining typical pedestrian speeds (3-5 km/h) on safe pathways for energy efficiency, the system automatically modulates speed when detecting vehicles, calculating time-to-collision, and executing collision avoidance maneuvers. This dynamic approach preserves energy during safe operation while reducing collision vulnerability during road crossings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors road conditions, vehicle positions, and calculated time-to-collision values, using this feedback to adjust speed in real-time. The feedback loop enables the robot to maintain energy-efficient pedestrian speeds when safe, while automatically reducing speed or initiating avoidance maneuvers when collision risk increases, thus resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and collision vulnerability.
Data Source
AI summary
A collision avoidance method and system for a mobile robot crossing a road. When a mobile robot approaches a road, it senses road conditions via at least one first sensor, and initiates road crossing if the road conditions are deemed suitable for crossing. As it crosses the road, the mobile robot senses, via at least one second sensor, a change in the road conditions indicating the presence of at least one hazardous moving object. In response to determining that at least one hazardous object in present, the mobile robot initiates a collision avoidance maneuver. A mobile robot configured to avoid collisions while crossing a road includes: at least one first sensor configured to sense road conditions, at least one second sensor configured to sense road conditions, and a processing component configured to carry out one or more collision avoidance maneuvers.