Multi-Robot Route Distribution for Connected Maintenance Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large areas requiring environment maintenance operations, such as grass mowing or floor cleaning, often cannot be completed within a specific time window, leading to disorderly conditions as unmaintained sections are scattered randomly.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling a plurality of autonomous robots involves a system with a server and user device, using a lookup table to generate sub-routes for the robots based on selected locations, available time slots, and priority sections, ensuring efficient coverage and connection of maintained areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a plurality of autonomous robots are deployed to operate in coordination on a large area, then the productivity of environment maintenance operations is improved, but the maintained areas may become scattered and disorderly when the area is too large to be completed within the specific time window
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large to-be-maintained location into multiple sub-locations and further segments the routes into sub-routes. The server generates sub-routes for each robot based on the total route, ensuring that each robot operates on a specific segment. This segmentation allows multiple robots to work simultaneously on different parts of the large area while maintaining an organized, non-scattered maintenance pattern.
2Productivity
If the specific location is partitioned into a plurality of smaller sections for multiple robots, then the productivity is improved, but the maintained areas may be distributed at random when completion cannot be achieved within the time window
Solution Approach 1:
The server performs preliminary route planning and segmentation before the robots start operation. It calculates the total route for the entire location, then divides this route into multiple sub-routes assigned to different robots in advance. This preliminary action ensures that even when multiple robots work simultaneously on large areas, the maintained areas will be connected and organized rather than randomly distributed, because the segmentation is done systematically before execution.
3Loss of time
If multiple robots operate simultaneously on a large area, then the time to complete maintenance operations is reduced, but the coordination and organization of maintained areas becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that centralizes the route planning and coordination function. Instead of having multiple robots independently plan their routes (which would create complexity and potential conflicts), the server receives the total route, segments it into sub-routes, and distributes them to robots. This intermediary approach simplifies coordination while enabling parallel operation, reducing completion time without sacrificing organization.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling a plurality of autonomous robots for performing environment maintenance operations includes: generating a setup command that indicates a selected location, a plurality of selected robots, an available time slot, and a distribution mode signal that indicates whether the selected robots are to be controlled based on the available time slot or an inputted priority section; and generating a plurality of sub-routes based on different parameters, depending on the distribution mode signal. The sub-routes are generated to be connected into an unbroken trail. Then, the sub-routes are transmitted to the selected robots, respectively, so as to control each of the selected robots to move along the respective one of the sub-routes.