Autonomous Moving Body Return Control When Positioning Fails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing positioning systems for moving objects, such as autonomous machines, face issues with precision degradation over distance and failure detection, leading to inaccurate self-location estimation and potential loss of control when positioning systems fail.
Innovation Solution
A management apparatus and system that includes a self-location estimation section within the moving object to calculate its location based on internal sensor data, a return information transmission section to provide estimation parameters, and a control signal communication section to remotely control the object, ensuring it can return to a destination even if the primary positioning system fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS positioning is used for autonomous navigation, then the moving object can determine its location, but positioning precision degrades over distance and fails in certain environments
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning function is segmented into multiple independent subsystems: GPS positioning section for primary location determination, and self-location estimation section using internal sensors for backup and continuous estimation. This segmentation allows the system to switch between positioning methods based on availability and precision requirements, mitigating the distance-related degradation of GPS accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positioning parameter source dynamically - switching from GPS-based absolute positioning to sensor-based relative positioning (odometry) when GPS precision degrades or fails. This parameter change enables continuous location estimation regardless of distance from reference points or environmental conditions.
2Reliability
If only GPS positioning is used, then the system remains simple, but the system loses control capability when positioning fails
Solution Approach 1:
The self-location estimation section is prepared in advance with calibration data and sensor configurations before GPS failure occurs. Return destination information is pre-stored in the storage section, enabling immediate switch to return navigation without system reconfiguration, thus improving reliability without adding operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control section acts as an intermediary that manages multiple positioning subsections (GPS and self-location estimation). It selectively activates appropriate positioning methods based on system state, providing a unified control interface that masks the underlying complexity while ensuring reliable positioning control.
3Reliability
If self-location estimation using internal sensors is implemented, then positioning can continue without GPS, but errors accumulate over distance
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by storing return destination information and comparing current self-estimated location against the stored reference. This feedback mechanism allows the object to navigate back to the destination despite accumulated estimation errors, as the return path is continuously adjusted based on the stored reference point rather than relying on increasingly inaccurate forward estimation.
Data Source
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AI summary
If a self-location of a moving object is estimated by utilizing an internal sensor mounted on a moving object, errors accumulate as the moving distance increases. A management apparatus which manages a moving object having an autonomous movement function includes a return information transmission section which transmits, to a moving object at a predetermined timing, return information for a moving object to return from a current location of the moving object to a return destination of the moving object.