Object State Monitoring for Proactive Cobot Transport Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In warehouses and logistics facilities, objects are frequently damaged or misplaced during movement by mobile robots or cobots, leading to undetected defects or lost shipments, which can result in customer dissatisfaction or financial losses.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses sensors to continuously monitor the state of objects, transmitting data to a monitoring and control system for real-time tracking and proactive intervention, including route adjustments and notifications, to prevent damage or delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mobile robots or cobots continuously move objects in warehouses, then productivity and logistics efficiency are improved, but the risk of object damage, misplacement, or component loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary monitoring and detection of object states during transport. Sensors continuously capture images and data about objects before damage occurs, allowing the system to identify potential issues (such as unbalanced loads or unstable positioning) and take preventive actions like alerting operators or adjusting robot movements to prevent damage from occurring in the first place
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where sensors monitor object states during transport, the processing system analyzes this data in real-time, and the system responds by alerting operators or adjusting robot operations. This closed-loop feedback enables the system to maintain object integrity while continuing productivity by immediately addressing potential damage scenarios
2Measurement precision
If sensors continuously monitor object states during transport, then detection precision and reliability are improved, but device complexity and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multi-functional sensors that can detect multiple types of object states (positioning, stability, integrity) with a single device. The same sensor system that monitors object location can also detect potential damage risks, reducing the need for separate specialized sensors for each monitoring function and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system processes and analyzes sensor data automatically using AI/ML algorithms without requiring constant human intervention. The processing system self-manages the complex tasks of analyzing sensor inputs, identifying potential damage risks, and generating appropriate alerts or responses, thereby reducing the operational complexity burden on human operators
3Reliability
If the system implements proactive intervention and route adjustments, then object safety and state maintenance are improved, but operational time and productivity may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system takes preliminary anti-actions by identifying and addressing potential damage risks before they manifest as actual problems. By detecting unbalanced loads or unstable positioning early in the transport process and making minor route or operation adjustments, the system prevents damage without requiring complete transport interruptions or time-consuming corrective actions
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial interventions only when and where needed rather than implementing blanket precautions for all transports. Route adjustments and monitoring intensity are scaled based on detected risk levels, allowing the system to maintain high object safety while minimizing unnecessary operational delays in low-risk scenarios
Data Source
AI summary
A system, including: a communication interface operable to receive sensor data related to a state of an object; object state estimation processor circuitry operable to estimate, based on the sensor data, a prospective probability of a degradation of the state of the object; and cobot fleet control processor circuitry operable to generate a command for either a transport cobot operable to transport the object, or another actor, to take proactive action to mitigate the prospective probability of the degradation of the state of the object.