Modular Robotic Platforms With Interchangeable Task and Mobility Modules
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic platforms for industrial applications are complex and expensive to manufacture and operate, limiting their widespread adoption for diverse tasks.
Innovation Solution
The development of modular industrial robotic platforms featuring a universal platform that can be coupled with interchangeable payload and mobility components, enabling the robots to perform a variety of industrial tasks autonomously or collaboratively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a robotic platform is designed to perform multiple different industrial tasks, then the adaptability and versatility of the system is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is divided into separate modular components: a universal base platform and interchangeable task-specific payload modules. Each payload module is designed as an independent unit that can be attached and detached from the base platform, allowing the system to perform different industrial tasks without redesigning the entire robot. This segmentation enables versatility while keeping individual components relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The base platform is designed with universal interfaces and standardized mounting mechanisms that can accommodate multiple types of payload modules. The platform provides common functions such as mobility, power supply, and control architecture that serve all task modules, eliminating the need for separate dedicated systems for each function and reducing overall complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a robotic platform is designed to perform multiple different industrial tasks, then the adaptability and versatility of the system is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the system into a reusable base platform and separate payload modules, the manufacturing cost is distributed across multiple standardized components. The base platform can be manufactured once and reused for multiple tasks, while individual payload modules can be manufactured independently using standardized processes, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost compared to building custom integrated robots for each task.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal base platform is designed with standardized interfaces and common subsystems that can serve multiple payload types. This universality allows for economies of scale in manufacturing the base platform, as the same unit can be produced and then paired with different payloads, reducing the per-unit manufacturing cost compared to producing specialized robots for each specific task.
3Productivity
If existing robotic platforms are used for diverse industrial tasks, then the system can handle various operations, but the operational cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows dynamic reconfiguration by enabling the base platform to quickly swap between different payload modules based on task requirements. This dynamic adaptability means the same physical platform can be rapidly redeployed for different operations without requiring complex reprogramming or reconfiguration of the underlying hardware architecture, thereby improving operational efficiency while maintaining simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular payload modules are designed with self-contained functionality, including their own sensors, actuators, and control interfaces that communicate through standardized protocols. This self-service design reduces the operational complexity on the base platform, as each module can independently manage its own tasks while interfacing with the universal control system, thereby improving overall operational efficiency without increasing system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Industrial robotic platforms are described. The robotic platform includes a universal platform configured to attach to interchangeable task-specific tooling systems and mobility systems. The robots may be mining robots, with a mining-specific tooling system attached to the universal platform, and configured for mining tasks. The platform is modular and may be used for other industrial applications and/or robot types, such as construction, satellite swarms, fuel production, disaster recovery, communications, remote power, and others. The robot may be included in a swarm or colony as part of an overall autonomous architecture. The robot may be part of an architecture having a colony or remote control center that communicates with and monitors the robots.