Mobile Automation Task Fragmentation for Obstacle-Resilient Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex and dynamic environments in retail, manufacturing, and healthcare settings pose challenges for mobile automation systems, such as obstacles that interrupt task performance, requiring task abandonment or restart.
Innovation Solution
A control method and apparatus that allocates tasks by dividing facility regions into sub-regions with shared operational constraints, generating task fragments, and sending them to mobile automation apparatuses for efficient task execution, including navigation and data capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the mobile automation apparatus operates in complex environments with obstacles, then the system can perform tasks in dynamic settings, but obstacles interrupt task performance requiring abandonment or restart
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the facility into multiple sub-regions and further segments tasks into task fragments that can be independently executed. When an obstacle interrupts task performance, the system can abandon the current task fragment and restart from a different fragment or sub-region, preventing complete task failure and improving reliability in dynamic environments.
2Productivity
If tasks are assigned to mobile automation apparatus without region segmentation, then task allocation is simple, but obstacles cause task interruption and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The facility is divided into sub-regions and tasks into task fragments associated with specific sub-regions. This segmentation allows the system to allocate smaller, more manageable task fragments to mobile apparatus, enabling efficient task completion while the segmentation itself manages the complexity of operating in environments with obstacles.
Solution Approach 2:
The task allocation system dynamically assigns task fragments to mobile automation apparatus based on current conditions. The system can reassign task fragments if interruptions occur, allowing flexible adaptation to changing environmental conditions while maintaining efficient productivity.
3Ease of operation
If the facility is divided into many sub-regions with operational constraints, then task allocation can be optimized, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the facility into sub-regions with specific operational constraints and associating task fragments with these sub-regions, the system optimizes task allocation by matching apparatus capabilities with sub-region requirements. The segmentation organizes complexity into manageable units rather than overwhelming monolithic control.
Solution Approach 2:
Each sub-region is assigned specific operational constraints tailored to its characteristics. This local quality approach allows the system to optimize task allocation for each sub-region independently, improving ease of operation while the modular structure prevents overall system complexity from becoming unmanageable.
Data Source
AI summary
A control method in a mobile automation system including a mobile automation apparatus and a control server. The method comprises, at the mobile automation apparatus: receiving a task identifier and a plurality of task fragments from the control server, each task fragment containing (i) a subset of identifiers for respective sub-regions in a facility, and (ii) an operational constraint. The method further includes, for each task fragment: generating a path traversing the subset of sub-regions, and while travelling along the path, performing the identified task.