Return Node Navigation for Robotic Mower Charging Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous work vehicles, such as robotic lawn mowers, face challenges in efficiently reaching a charging station due to increased travel distance and power wastage when following guide wires or GPS in complex environments with obstacles.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle is equipped with a position information obtaining unit, driving unit, and control unit that utilizes a return node map to guide the vehicle to a charging station by calculating the direction of the closest travel node and navigating towards it, reducing reliance on guide wires and GPS.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robotic lawn mower traces the guide wire to the predetermined destination, then the vehicle can reach the charging station, but the travel distance increases and power is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the continuous guide wire into discrete travel nodes (charging station, intermediate nodes, boundary nodes) that the vehicle navigates to sequentially. This segmentation allows the vehicle to take direct paths between nodes rather than following the continuous guide wire, reducing travel distance and energy consumption while maintaining reliable navigation to the charging station.
2Loss of energy
If the robotic lawn mower advances straight to the predetermined destination based on GPS signal, then the travel distance is reduced, but the vehicle may not reach the destination in complex environments with obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces travel nodes as intermediary waypoints between the current position and the charging station. These nodes act as mediators that guide the vehicle through complex environments with obstacles, ensuring reliable navigation while keeping travel distance shorter than following the guide wire. The nodes are strategically positioned to navigate around obstacles while maintaining efficient paths.
3Reliability
If guide wire is used for navigation, then the vehicle can reach the charging station reliably, but the system complexity and data storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential navigation information from the continuous guide wire by identifying and storing discrete travel nodes (charging station, intermediate nodes, boundary nodes). This extraction reduces system complexity and data storage requirements while maintaining reliable navigation capability, as the vehicle only needs to navigate to these key nodes rather than follow the entire guide wire path.
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
This approach reduces unnecessary travel distance and power consumption while enabling efficient navigation to the charging station, even in complex environments, by managing the travel route using travel nodes instead of lines, allowing for quick customization and reduced data storage.
Implementation Method 1
The position information obtaining unit includes a GNSS receiver acquiring a position of the autonomous work vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous work vehicle includes a position information obtaining unit, a driving unit, a control unit, and a memory. The position information obtaining unit includes a GNSS receiver acquiring a position of the autonomous work vehicle. The driving unit includes a motor. The control unit includes a processor. The memory stores a position of a plurality of travel nodes, wherein the processor calculates a direction of one of the plurality of travel nodes that is closest to a current position of the autonomous work vehicle, and the driving unit drives the autonomous work vehicle in a direction moving towards the direction of the one of the plurality of travel nodes calculated by the processor.