Retractable Docking Marker for AGV Transport Objects
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic guided transportation systems face challenges in improving the docking operation between the object to be transported and the automatic guided transportation vehicle, leading to inefficiencies and potential misalignment during transportation.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a movable marker on the entry route that can be recognized by the vehicle's sensor, allowing the vehicle to accurately position itself for docking, and a retractable mechanism that enables the marker to return to its initial position without an actuator, facilitating precise docking and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a marker is provided on the entry route to improve docking accuracy, then the vehicle can recognize the position more accurately, but the marker may contact the vehicle and cause misalignment or docking failure
Solution Approach 1:
The marker is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to change position dynamically. Specifically, the marker can be retracted from the entry route when the vehicle approaches, preventing contact and ensuring reliable docking while maintaining position recognition accuracy when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The marker is retracted in advance before the vehicle reaches the docking position. This preliminary action prevents the marker from contacting the vehicle during the critical docking phase, eliminating the risk of misalignment while still providing position information when the vehicle is farther away
2Reliability
If the marker is retracted from the entry route to prevent contact with the vehicle, then docking reliability improves, but the vehicle may lose the ability to recognize the marker position
Solution Approach 1:
The marker alternates between being extended (for position recognition) and retracted (for reliable docking). This periodic action ensures that the marker provides position information when the vehicle is approaching from a distance, then moves to a safe position before contact occurs, maintaining both recognition accuracy and docking reliability at different stages
3Manufacturing precision
If an actuator is added to control the marker retraction mechanism, then the marker can be precisely positioned, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The marker holder uses the vehicle's own motion and force to retract the marker, rather than requiring a separate actuator. As the vehicle approaches and applies force to the marker holder, the marker is automatically pushed back into its retracted position, eliminating the need for additional actuators while maintaining precise positioning
Solution Approach 2:
The marker holder acts as an intermediary mechanism that translates the vehicle's forward motion into marker retraction. This simple mechanical linkage converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into the motion needed to retract the marker, avoiding complex actuated systems
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an object to be transported by an automatic guided transportation vehicle includes: a housing having an entry route through which the automatic guided transportation vehicle enters; a marker that can be recognized by a sensor provided in the automatic guided transportation vehicle; and a marker holder configured to hold the marker retractably at an initial position where the marker contacts with the automatic guided transportation vehicle in the entry route.