Navigation Map Updates for Multi-Robot Work Order Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigation systems for robots in dynamic environments, such as factories, face challenges in efficiently updating map data to adapt to changing conditions, leading to potential conflicts and inefficiencies in guiding robots to their target positions without physical markings or complex laser technology.
Innovation Solution
A method for distributing navigation map data to multiple robots, allowing each to work with independent map data, enabling flexible and automated updates from old to new navigation maps, ensuring seamless transition without system faults or user effort overload.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If physical markings (metal wires, magnetic tracks, colored strips) are embedded in the floor for robot guidance, then robot navigation is achieved, but the system lacks flexibility and requires complicated auxiliary devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical mechanical markings (metal wires, magnetic tracks, colored strips) with a virtual navigation map stored in memory. The robot determines its position by comparing sensor data (e.g., laser range finder measurements) with the virtual map, eliminating the need for floor-embedded auxiliary devices and enabling flexible, software-based navigation updates.
2Adaptability or versatility
If laser technology is used for virtual position path guidance, then flexibility is improved, but the technology becomes very complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the navigation information from complex real-time laser guidance technology and stores it in advance as a simplified virtual map in memory. The robot uses this pre-stored map data for position determination, eliminating the need for complicated real-time laser guidance infrastructure while maintaining virtual path flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation map is created and stored in memory before the robot begins operation. This preliminary preparation of navigation data allows the robot to determine its position using simple comparison operations rather than complex real-time laser processing, reducing both technological complexity and computational burden during operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If navigation map data is updated during operation to adapt to changing local conditions, then adaptability is improved, but conflicts may arise between old and new map data affecting robot work orders
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a new navigation map in advance and stores it in memory before it becomes active. When the new map is activated, the system automatically terminates work orders that were planned based on the old map data, preventing conflicts between outdated navigation information and current environmental conditions while ensuring reliable work order execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors the activation status of navigation maps and automatically manages work orders based on map version compatibility. When a new map is activated, the system provides feedback by identifying and terminating work orders that reference the old map, ensuring that all active work orders are consistent with the current navigation data and preventing execution conflicts.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for distributing navigation map data to a plurality of work machines which are part of a network of work machines and perform work orders in this network, wherein the navigation map data are needed in the work machines to carry out the work orders, and work orders are planned on the basis of navigation map data, includes detecting work orders for work machines, which work orders exist in the network and were planned on the basis of old navigation map data. The method includes checking the work orders which exist in the network in order to determine whether these work orders can be carried out with new navigation map data, and terminating work orders which cannot be carried out with new navigation map data. The new navigation map data is then installed.