Remote Presence Workstation With Stable Low-Noise Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing remote presence systems face challenges such as complexity, high expense, two-wheeled balancing issues, network connectivity robustness, operational noise, and suboptimal user interfaces, limiting their effectiveness and affordability for modern business demands.
Innovation Solution
A remote presence system comprising a pilot workstation with a display, microphone, camera, and network connectivity, operatively coupled to an electromechanically mobile workstation with a mobile base, head component, and advanced navigation and communication features, allowing virtual presence through image, sound, and motion projection, with features like differential drive wheels, gyroscopes, and advanced audio processing for enhanced navigation and communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional remote presence systems use complex electromechanical configurations, then functionality is enhanced, but device complexity and expense increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the remote presence functionality into separate modular components: a mobile robotic platform for navigation and sensing, and a stationary workstation for computing and communication. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining full functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile workstation integrates multiple functions into a single platform: navigation, environmental sensing, video conferencing, and document handling. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate specialized devices, reducing device complexity while enhancing adaptability.
2Ease of operation
If two-wheeled balancing mechanisms are used for mobility, then maneuverability is improved, but stability and operational reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses different wheel configurations for different operational requirements: differential drive wheels for precise directional control and maneuverability, and omnidirectional wheels for stable movement in multiple directions. This localized optimization of wheel properties at different positions provides both maneuverability and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile platform dynamically adjusts its balancing and movement characteristics based on operational conditions, transitioning between different drive modes as needed. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain stability while preserving maneuverability when required.
3Reliability
If advanced network connectivity subsystems are implemented, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines multiple network connectivity functions (wireless communication, video conferencing protocols, data transmission) into an integrated network subsystem with unified management. This merging reduces the number of separate components and simplifies configuration while maintaining reliable communication across all channels.
4Ease of operation
If electromechanical components are used for navigation, then mobility is improved, but operational noise level increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces noisy mechanical navigation components with quieter alternatives: using sensor-based navigation and control systems instead of mechanical steering mechanisms, and employing electronic differential drive control instead of mechanical differential gears. This substitution maintains full navigation capability while significantly reducing operational noise.
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 system provides effective, affordable, and reliable remote presence capabilities, improving user interface and network connectivity while reducing noise and complexity, enabling seamless navigation and communication in various environments.
Implementation Method 1
a drive system including a left wheel and a right wheel, a left hubmotor operatively coupled to the left wheel, a right hubmotor operatively coupled to the right wheel, and a controller configured to control the left hubmotor and the right hubmotor in a differential fashion such that a linear speed of the left wheel is different from a linear speed of the right wheel
Implementation Method 2
with features like differential drive wheels, gyroscopes, and advanced audio processing for enhanced navigation and communication
Data Source
AI summary
Remote presence systems and methods are presented. In one embodiment, a system may comprise a pilot workstation comprising a pilot computing station having a display, a microphone, a camera oriented to capture images of the pilot, a network connectivity subsystem, and a master input device such as a keyboard, mouse, or joystick. The pilot network connectivity subsystem may be operatively coupled to an electromechanically mobile workstation comprising a mobile base interconnected to a head component. The mobile workstation may comprise a display, a microphone, a camera oriented to capture images of nearby people and structures, and a workstation network connectivity subsystem that preferably is operatively coupled to the pilot network connectivity subsystem. Preferably by virtue of the system components, the pilot is able to remotely project a virtual presence of himself in the form of images, sound, and motion of the mobile workstation at the location of the mobile workstation.