Mobile Robot Control With Dynamic Standby Distance Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot control systems face inefficiencies in managing multiple mobile robots within facilities, particularly in maintaining a safe distance from peripheral objects and adapting to changing conditions such as the number of robots in standby areas and expected arrivals.
Innovation Solution
A robot control system that dynamically adjusts the threshold distance based on the number of mobile robots in standby areas and expected arrivals, allowing robots to move more efficiently by reducing the threshold distance when necessary and changing it stepwise with moving speed, while considering transported object information and maintaining a fixed standby area size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed threshold distance is maintained for all mobile robots, then safety from collision is ensured, but movement efficiency and space utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the threshold distance based on the number of mobile robots in the standby area. When the number of robots exceeds a predetermined value, the threshold distance is reduced; when it is below the value, the threshold distance is increased. This dynamic parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the safety distance to current operational conditions, improving movement efficiency while maintaining adequate collision safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the threshold distance parameter according to the robot count in the standby area. This parameter change allows the system to optimize space utilization and movement efficiency by reducing the threshold distance when necessary, while still ensuring collision safety through appropriate parameter selection based on real-time conditions.
2Quantity of substance
If the threshold distance is reduced to increase robot density in standby area, then space utilization improves, but collision risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The threshold distance is dynamically adjusted based on the number of robots in the standby area. When robot density is low, a larger threshold distance maintains safety. When density increases beyond a predetermined value, the threshold distance is reduced to improve space utilization. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting safety margins to actual density conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the number of mobile robots in the standby area and uses this feedback to adjust the threshold distance. This closed-loop control ensures that collision risk is managed appropriately based on real-time robot density, allowing higher density when safe and maintaining safety when density is low.
3Productivity
If obstacle detection is weakened to improve movement speed, then productivity increases, but safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The obstacle detection control unit applies different detection sensitivities to different spatial locations. In the standby area, when a predetermined number of robots are present, the detection range is narrowed or detection is stopped, effectively weakening detection locally. This local quality adjustment allows robots to move more efficiently in the standby area while maintaining adequate safety in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts obstacle detection strength based on location and conditions. In the standby area with high robot density, detection is weakened to improve movement speed. In other areas or when robot density is low, full detection sensitivity is maintained to ensure safety. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between detection accuracy and movement speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot control system according to the present embodiment is a robot control system that controls a plurality of mobile robots that can autonomously move in a facility. The robot control system acquires error information indicating that an error has occurred in a first transport robot, acquires transported object information related to a transported object of the first transport robot, determines a second transport robot able to transport the transported object of the first transport robot among the transport robots based on the transported object information and the error information, and moves the second transport robot to a transfer location of the transported object of the first transport robot.