Mobile Robot Floor Mapping for Obstacle-Aware Task Handoffs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous robots lack the ability to efficiently navigate and adapt to dynamic environments, particularly in consumer and commercial settings, and often require complex mapping and navigation systems that are not easily customizable for multiple applications.
Innovation Solution
A wheeled device equipped with exteroceptive and proprioceptive sensors, cameras, and processors that capture and process environmental data to generate digital floor plans, avoid obstacles, and autonomously navigate, with data processing offloaded to cloud storage or computational devices for enhanced functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex mapping and navigation systems are used to enable autonomous robots to navigate and adapt to dynamic environments, then navigation capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single mobile robotic platform that can perform multiple functions through interchangeable modules. The base robot includes sensors, processors, and actuators that can be configured with different task-specific modules (cleaning, delivery, inspection) without requiring separate navigation systems for each application. This multi-functional design reduces overall system complexity while maintaining reliable navigation across diverse tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the robotic system into modular components: a standardized base platform containing navigation and processing systems, and separate task-specific modules. This segmentation allows the complex navigation system to be developed once in the base unit and reused across multiple applications, reducing the complexity burden on individual robot instances while maintaining high navigation capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If a standardized mobile platform is used to reduce device complexity, then ease of manufacture is improved, but adaptability to different applications decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics through a reconfigurable modular architecture where the robotic platform can dynamically adapt to different applications by attaching or detaching task-specific modules. The standardized base provides consistent manufacturing benefits, while the interchangeable modules enable customization for cleaning, delivery, inspection, and other tasks, resolving the contradiction between standardization and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal mobile robotic platform designed to perform multiple functions through a standardized interface system. The base robot includes universal sensors, processors, and mounting mechanisms that work with various task modules, enabling a single platform design to serve multiple applications without sacrificing ease of manufacture or adaptability.
3Extent of automation
If multiple sensors and processors are added to enhance autonomous operation capability, then extent of automation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sensor types (exteroceptive and proprioceptive) and processing functions into an integrated sensor suite and centralized processor within the mobile robotic platform. This consolidation enables autonomous operation for navigation, obstacle detection, and task execution while managing complexity through unified system architecture rather than separate independent systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a universal processor and sensor system in the base platform that can handle multiple automation tasks through software configuration rather than hardware multiplication. The same sensor suite supports navigation, obstacle avoidance, and task-specific functions across different applications, enhancing autonomous capability without proportionally increasing physical complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a first wheeled device, including a chassis; wheels; a plurality of sensors; at least one camera; a processor; a medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor effectuates operations including capturing first readings indicative of displacement; capturing second readings indicative of movement of the wheels; capturing third readings comprising images of an environment wherein an image of an unanticipated obstacle is transmitted to an application; identifying a location of the first wheel device in respect to the environment; generating a digital representation of a floor plan of the environment; determining areas of the environment covered; identifying rooms in the digital representation; transmitting status information of at least one task to the application, wherein the status indicating completion of the at least one task initiates a second wheeled device to perform a complementary task to the at least one task.