Reconfigurable Distance Sensor Arrays for Rapid Picking Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for guiding users to select items from containers require physical reconfiguration, remounting, and rewiring of sensors and indicators, which is time-consuming and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A system of individually readable distance sensors and controllable light emitting indicators configured in arrays, with a control circuit to generate reconfigurable detection windows, allowing for quick and efficient configuration and reconfiguration without physical reconfiguration or rewiring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If physical reconfiguration, remounting, and rewiring of sensors and indicators is performed, then the system can be adapted to different configurations, but the process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically reconfigures detection windows by programmatically adjusting the active state of individual distance sensors based on teaching data, allowing the sensing coverage area to adapt to different container configurations without physical reconfiguration. This dynamic control resolves the contradiction by enabling configuration changes through software rather than manual physical adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (which sensors are active, detection thresholds, window dimensions) based on teaching data collected during a teaching operation. By modifying these parameters programmatically, the system achieves configuration adaptability without time-consuming physical reconfiguration, remounting, or rewiring.
2Productivity
If generic sensing and indication units are deployed, then deployment efficiency improves, but configuration and reconfiguration become complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-configuration by automatically generating detection window parameters from teaching data collected during a teaching operation. The control circuit programmatically determines which sensors to activate and how to dimension detection windows based on actual container positions, eliminating the need for complex manual configuration while maintaining deployment efficiency with generic units.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs a teaching operation in advance to collect data about container positions and configurations. This preliminary action stores the necessary configuration information, allowing the generic sensing units to be quickly deployed and automatically configured without complex setup procedures, thus resolving the contradiction between deployment efficiency and configuration complexity.
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
Enables rapid deployment and reconfiguration of sensing and indication units with reconfigurable detection windows, reducing the need for physical reconfiguration and enabling efficient guidance through predetermined sequences of picking and placement operations.
Implementation Method 1
a first plurality of individually readable distance sensors configured to be disposed along a first axis, wherein each of the first plurality of distance sensors is configurable to detect penetration of a first plane containing the first axis
Implementation Method 2
a second array of a plurality of individually controllable light emitting indicators disposed on the platform along at least a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis; each of the plurality of individually controllable light emitting indicators is individually configurable to emit visual indicia to a user out of the first plane
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
Apparatus and associated methods relate to an array of individually readable distance sensors disposed along a first axis on a platform and configurable to detect penetration of a first plane containing the first axis, and an array of individually controllable light emitting indicators disposed on the platform along at least a second axis and configurable to emit visual indicia to a user out of the first plane. The visual indicia may, for example, be associated with the detected penetration. A reconfigurable predetermined detection window may, for example, be generated by associating adjacent sensors detecting input during a teaching operation. The detection window may, for example, be further generated by determining at least one distance threshold profile as a function of input received from the adjacent sensors during the teaching operation. Various embodiments may advantageously enable efficient configuration of generic sensing and indication units.