Mobile Robot Virtual Boundary Control for Flexible Outdoor Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile robots, such as robotic lawn mowers, face challenges in setting and changing travel boundaries efficiently, particularly in outdoor environments with varying ground shapes, as traditional methods like burying wires or using virtual walls are cumbersome, costly, and limited in flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robot system that communicates with a terminal to set and change travel boundaries using position information from GPS, UWB, and other signals, allowing it to autonomously navigate and adjust its path while avoiding obstacles, enabling flexible boundary definition and easy area modification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wires are buried in the ground to set boundaries, then the mobile robot can be constrained to travel within a designated area, but the process becomes cumbersome and difficult to change when boundary adjustments are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wire-based boundary system with a magnetic field-based virtual boundary system. Magnets embedded in the ground generate magnetic fields that the mobile robot detects using sensors, eliminating the need for physical wires while maintaining boundary constraint functionality. This substitution enables easy boundary modification by simply repositioning magnets rather than digging and reburying wires.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces magnetic fields as an intermediary between the boundary definition system and the mobile robot. Instead of direct mechanical contact with wires, the robot detects magnetic field variations to identify boundaries. This intermediary enables non-contact boundary detection and facilitates flexible boundary reconfiguration through magnet relocation.
2Ease of operation
If virtual walls are used to limit mobile robot movement, then boundary setting becomes easier, but the method is limited to linear movements and cannot accommodate various ground shapes in outdoor environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static linear virtual wall concept into a dynamic curved boundary system. By placing magnets at multiple points along a desired path and having the robot follow magnetic field gradients, the system can create boundaries of any shape - straight lines, curves, or complex polygons - adapting to various outdoor ground shapes while maintaining ease of setup.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the continuous boundary into discrete magnetic segments. Instead of requiring a continuous virtual wall, the boundary is formed by multiple individual magnets placed at key points. The robot navigates by detecting and following these segmented magnetic markers, enabling flexible boundary creation for any ground shape while simplifying the setting process.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple devices are deployed to set virtual walls in wide areas, then complete area coverage is achieved, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal boundary setting system using magnets that can cover any area size without requiring different device types. The same magnetic boundary principles work for both small and large areas, and the system serves multiple functions including boundary definition, navigation guidance, and obstacle avoidance, reducing the need for additional specialized devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive magnets as the primary boundary-defining components. These low-cost magnetic elements can be easily replaced or repositioned if needed, providing an economical solution for large-area coverage compared to expensive electronic virtual wall devices. The simplicity of the magnetic system reduces overall device complexity while maintaining effective area delimitation.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile robot may include a controller configured to set a virtual boundary based on position information determined by a terminal or a position sensor in an area, and to set an area of any one side of the boundary as a traveling area. The controller may control a traveling unit so that a main body moves within the traveling area without moving outside the boundary. Accordingly, the controller may easily set the boundary using the position information, and may control traveling of the mobile robot by setting the traveling area formed by the boundary. The controller may correct a position error, may reflect information on obstacles in setting the traveling area to set a traveling area appropriate for a traveling environment of the mobile robot, and/or may easily change the set traveling area.