Autonomous Mower Visual Docking and Temporary Zone Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous lawn mowers face challenges in navigating temporary obstacles and periodic changes in a lawn, such as repaired grass or seasonal decorations, which are not effectively addressed by boundary wires, leading to potential damage to obstacles or the mower itself.
Innovation Solution
A vision-based navigation system that uses cameras and image processors to analyze real-time conditions, allowing the mower to avoid obstacles by changing its course, and a visual identifier system to differentiate between obstacles and charging stations or temporary exclusion zones, enabling safe docking and recharging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a boundary wire is used to define lawn bounds, then the mower can navigate within the lawn area, but it cannot effectively address temporary obstacles and periodic changes in the lawn
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical boundary wire system with a vision-based navigation system using cameras and image processing. This optical system can dynamically detect and respond to temporary obstacles like repaired grass patches, seasonal decorations, and other periodic changes without requiring physical boundary modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The vision system changes the detection parameters by using image processing to identify different surface characteristics, colors, and patterns that indicate temporary obstacles. This allows the mower to adapt to varying lawn conditions by analyzing visual data rather than relying on fixed boundary wires.
2Reliability
If a collision sensor is used to detect unexpected obstacles, then the mower can respond to obstacles, but it causes damage to both the obstacles and the mower over time
Solution Approach 1:
The vision system performs preliminary detection of obstacles before the mower reaches them, allowing the control system to plan and execute avoidance maneuvers in advance. This prevents collision-based detection and eliminates the damaging impacts that occur with collision sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The image processing system provides continuous visual feedback about the lawn environment, enabling the control system to make real-time adjustments to the mower's path. This feedback loop allows the mower to navigate around obstacles smoothly without physical contact.
3Reliability
If the vision system identifies the charging station as an obstacle, then the mower can avoid obstacles effectively, but it prevents the mower from docking and recharging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by giving the charging station a distinct visual identifier that differentiates it from regular obstacles. The image processing system is trained to recognize this specific visual pattern, allowing it to treat the charging station differently - as a destination rather than an obstacle to avoid.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual identifier acts as an intermediary signal between the vision system and the charging station. This special marker allows the mower to distinguish the charging station from other objects and execute the appropriate docking maneuver rather than obstacle avoidance.
4Adaptability or versatility
If boundary wires are revised to address temporary obstacles, then the mower can navigate around obstacles, but it requires costly and time-consuming revisions
Solution Approach 1:
The vision-based system replaces the mechanical boundary wire infrastructure with an optical detection system. This eliminates the need to physically install, revise, or maintain boundary wires when temporary obstacles appear, as the camera system can instantly detect and respond to visual changes in the environment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The vision-based navigation system effectively addresses temporary obstacles and periodic changes, ensuring safe operation and preventing damage to the mower and obstacles, while the visual identifier system ensures safe recharging and temporary exclusion zones can be created without modifying boundary wires.
Implementation Method 1
A boundary wire emitting an electromagnetic field or pulse may be sensed by the autonomous lawn mower to define the bounds of the user's lawn and to identify permanent obstacles such as trees or flower beds
Implementation Method 2
a camera, for example, that continually intakes images as the lawn mower moves forward. The vision-based navigation system may permit forward movement as long as images of an unobstructed lawn are being received and processed
Data Source
AI summary
A lawn vehicle network includes a charging station having a visual identifier, a lawn vehicle having a battery, a blade system, a drive system whose output effects lawn vehicle forward movement, a processor board connected to both systems, the processor board capable of processing image data and sending commands to both systems, and a vision assembly connected to the processor board and able to transmit image data to the processor board, and the processor board, having received the image data, able to, if the image data represent a first object, maintain the drive system's output at the time of that determination, if the image data represent a second object, change the drive system's output at the time of that determination, and if the image data represent the visual identifier, maintain the drive system's output or send a shutoff command to the vision assembly at the time of that determination.