Revolving Door Entry Timing Control for Mobile Robots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robots face challenges in safely passing through revolving doors due to the need to consider the characteristics and operating state of the door, as well as the presence of people or objects using the door, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
A drivable robot equipped with sensors and processors that analyze photographic images to identify free space and object information, determining optimal entry times and controlling its driver to safely navigate through revolving doors by considering door characteristics and object movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot waits for a safe entry time to pass through the revolving door, then the safety is improved, but the time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs preliminary actions by capturing images in advance, identifying the revolving door and analyzing the free space and object information before making the entry decision. This allows the robot to plan its entry timing ahead, reducing actual waiting time while ensuring safety through pre-computed analysis of the revolving door characteristics and surrounding objects.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot continuously monitors the revolving door environment by capturing images and analyzing free space information and object positions. This feedback mechanism allows the robot to dynamically adjust its entry timing based on real-time conditions, optimizing the balance between safety and time efficiency by entering when conditions are favorable.
2Productivity
If the robot enters the revolving door immediately without waiting, then the time efficiency is improved, but the collision risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs preliminary analysis by capturing images and identifying free space information and object positions before entering the revolving door. This pre-computed knowledge allows the robot to make informed entry decisions quickly, achieving time efficiency without sacrificing safety, as the collision risk is already assessed in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical sensors (such as ultrasonic or infrared sensors) with vision-based image processing to detect the revolving door and surrounding objects. This substitution enables more comprehensive environmental perception and more accurate judgment of safe entry timing, reducing collision risk while maintaining time efficiency.
3Loss of time
If the robot bypasses the revolving door to avoid waiting, then the time loss is reduced, but the route complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs preliminary analysis of the revolving door environment and calculates the optimal entry timing in advance. This allows the robot to confidently choose to enter the revolving door rather than bypass it, avoiding the additional route complexity of finding alternative paths while minimizing time loss through pre-computed entry timing.
4Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the robot uses traditional sensors to detect the revolving door, then the detection capability is limited, but the system complexity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical sensors (ultrasonic, infrared) with vision-based image processing systems. This substitution significantly improves detection capability by enabling the robot to capture and analyze visual information about the revolving door, free space, and surrounding objects, providing more comprehensive environmental perception despite the increased system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A drivable robot includes: at least one sensor; a driver; at least one processor; and memory storing one or more instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the robot to: based on identifying a revolving door in a photographed image obtained by the at least one sensor, identify free space information of a free space inside the revolving door and object information of an object that is to enter the revolving door based on the photographed image; identify a first time point for the robot to enter the revolving door based on the free space information and the object information; and control the driver such that the robot enters the revolving door at the first time point.