Autonomous Moving Apparatus Obstacle Detection and Navigation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous driving technologies are ineffective in navigating safely through environments with numerous obstacles such as offices, restaurants, and train aisles, where there are many people, desks, tables, and chairs, due to the lack of appropriate sensors and control systems for obstacle detection and route adjustment.
Innovation Solution
A moving apparatus equipped with a control unit, upper article storage unit, and lower drive unit, featuring multiple sensors (ambient, front, and foot sensors) that detect obstacles and adjust the travel route by stopping and rotating at a proximity distance, allowing for safe navigation and product retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If autonomous driving technology is applied to navigate through environments with many obstacles, then the ability to detect and avoid obstacles is improved, but the system complexity and reliability are insufficient for safe traveling in places like offices and restaurants
Solution Approach 1:
The moving apparatus is divided into an upper unit with article storage and a lower unit with drive components. Multiple sensors (ambient, front, foot sensors) are segmented and positioned at different locations to detect obstacles at various heights and distances, enabling comprehensive obstacle detection without requiring a single complex sensor system
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit integrates multiple functions including obstacle detection, route planning, motion control, and gesture/speech recognition processing into a single system. The moving apparatus can perform both autonomous navigation and interactive service functions, making the system versatile for various service scenarios in obstacle-rich environments
2Ease of operation
If the moving apparatus stops and rotates at proximity distance to facilitate product retrieval, then ease of operation is improved, but the traveling time and productivity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit predicts the user's intended destination and proactively navigates the moving apparatus to that location before the user explicitly requests it. This preliminary action reduces waiting time and minimizes the frequency of stop-and-rotate operations, thereby improving traveling efficiency while still facilitating easy product retrieval when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The moving apparatus dynamically adjusts its behavior based on real-time conditions. It can switch between continuous autonomous navigation mode (for efficiency) and stop-and-rotate service mode (for ease of operation) depending on sensor input, user gestures, and speech commands, optimizing the balance between productivity and ease of operation
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are deployed for comprehensive obstacle detection, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different sensor types are deployed at specific locations optimized for their detection capabilities: ambient sensors for general surrounding monitoring, front sensors for forward obstacle detection, and foot sensors for low-level obstacle detection near the ground. Each sensor is positioned to maximize its effectiveness for detecting obstacles in its specific detection zone, achieving comprehensive coverage without requiring all sensors to be uniformly complex
Data Source
AI summary
A moving apparatus that performs control to stop the moving apparatus at a position close to a user and to rotate the moving apparatus at a stop position, thereby making it easy to take out a product carried on the apparatus. The moving apparatus includes a control unit that executes traveling control of the moving apparatus, an upper unit that has an article storage unit, and a lower unit that houses a drive unit, in which the control unit inputs detection information of a sensor, and executes control to stop the moving apparatus at a position close to a user and rotate the moving apparatus at a stop position on the basis of input sensor detection information. The control unit performs display control of a traveling route recognition display line indicating a traveling route of the moving apparatus.