Autonomous Mower Route Planning to Avoid Overlap and Charging Delays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robotic lawn mowers face issues with overlapping traveling routes, which cause damage to the field due to repeated tire marks, and inefficient battery charging during movement between areas.
Innovation Solution
The robotic working apparatus sets distinct traveling routes from a work area to a charging base and from the base to another work area, avoiding overlap by using a controller to manage and optimize these routes, including the use of relay points and adjusting route patterns to minimize field damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robotic lawn mower uses a shuttle route to return to the charging base and then proceeds to the next area, then the battery charging need is addressed, but the traveling routes overlap causing increased field damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the movement process into two independent segments: a transfer route from the current area to the charging base, and a traveling route from the charging base to the next area. These segments are planned separately to avoid overlap, thereby reducing field damage while ensuring battery charging needs are met.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension by allowing the transfer route and traveling route to use different paths through the workspace. By planning routes in different spatial dimensions or pathways, the system avoids overlap between charging trips and work trips, reducing tire marks on the field.
2Productivity
If the robotic lawn mower sets a direct traveling route from the work end point to the work start point in the next area, then movement efficiency is improved, but the battery may be depleted before reaching the charging base
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by checking the battery charge level before finalizing the traveling route. If the battery charge is insufficient, the system proactively inserts a transfer route to the charging base before the work route, ensuring the robot can complete its tasks without power depletion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the route planning dynamic by adjusting the combination of transfer routes and traveling routes based on real-time battery charge levels. When battery charge is sufficient, a direct traveling route is used for efficiency; when charge is low, a transfer route to the charging base is inserted to ensure reliability.
3Reliability
If the robotic working apparatus frequently returns to the charging base during operation, then battery charge is maintained, but the overall work productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by returning to the charging base only when necessary (when battery charge falls below a threshold), rather than at fixed intervals. This selective charging approach maintains sufficient battery charge while minimizing interruptions to work productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot autonomously monitors its own battery charge level and independently decides when to interrupt work for charging. This self-service capability allows the system to optimize the balance between maintaining battery charge and maximizing work output without external intervention.
Data Source
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AI summary
The damage of the field is reduced by eliminating the overlap of the traveling routes as much as possible, and efficient movement between a plurality of areas is allowed, even taking into account the charging of the battery. A robotic working apparatus (1) includes: a working tool (12) configured to perform work on a field; a working robot (10) configured to perform the work while autonomously traveling on the field; and a controller (10A, 20A, 30A, U) configured to set a traveling route for the working robot (10) and control motion of the working robot (10). In a case where a first area and a second area are set on the field as working areas of the working robot (10), when the working robot (10) moves from a work end point in the first area to a work start point in the second area, the controller (10A, 20A, 30A, U) sets a route from the work end point to a base (20), and a route from the base (20) to the work start point. The route from the work end point to the base (20) is different at least in part from the route from the base (20) to the work start point.