Mobile Sales Robot Routing to Customer-Designated Locations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile sales systems with shopping assistance robots only assist customers within a store and do not provide a comprehensive solution for business operators to enhance sales and customer interaction.
Innovation Solution
A mobile sales system comprising a self-propelled sales robot that can travel to customer-designated locations, sell merchandise, and facilitate payment processing, integrated with a terminal device for position designation and server management for tracking and navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a robot circulates within a store to assist customers, then customer service capability is improved, but the system cannot actively reach customers at their designated locations
Solution Approach 1:
The robot transitions from static circulation along fixed routes to dynamic movement where it can be called to specific customer-designated locations. The robot receives position information from terminal devices and navigates to those coordinates, enabling adaptive response to customer needs rather than passive circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
A server acts as an intermediary between terminal devices (customer interfaces) and the robot. The server receives position information from terminal devices, processes it, and transmits navigation instructions to the robot, enabling coordinated interaction between customers and the mobile sales robot.
2Device complexity
If the robot only assists customers within the store, then operational simplicity is maintained, but comprehensive sales capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile sales robot integrates multiple functions: it not only assists customers with product information but also enables direct purchasing transactions. The robot can receive position information, navigate to customers, display product information, and process payments, making it a universal sales platform rather than just an assistance device.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows customers to designate their position and receive product information before the robot arrives. The server pre-processes position information and prepares navigation routes, so when the robot arrives, the transaction can proceed efficiently without delays.
3Ease of operation
If the robot moves to customer-designated locations, then customer interaction is improved, but navigation and position tracking complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The server serves as a central coordinator that handles the complexity of position tracking and navigation. Terminal devices simply input customer positions, and the server processes this information and generates navigation instructions for the robot, distributing the computational complexity across the system rather than concentrating it in the robot alone.
4Productivity
If payment processing is integrated into the mobile robot, then sales efficiency is improved, but system integration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile sales robot is designed as a multi-functional platform that combines product information display, customer communication, and payment processing capabilities. This universal design allows a single device to handle the entire sales transaction workflow, from initial customer contact to final payment, improving sales efficiency despite the increased functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a mobile sales system includes a terminal device and a mobile sales device on which items to be sold can be mounted. The terminal device is used to designate a customer call position for the mobile sales device and is configured to transmit position information indicating the customer call position. The mobile sales device is configured to acquire the position information transmitted by the terminal device, move to a location corresponding to the acquired position information, and execute payment processing for an item removed from the mobile sales device by a customer.