RFID Marker Navigation for Free-Moving Educational Toys
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing educational robots for children are limited in their ability to move freely on surfaces without mechanical guidance, restricting their navigational flexibility and educational impact.
Innovation Solution
A self-moving vehicle equipped with electrically driven wheels or legs that can navigate freely on a two-dimensional surface, using tangible three-dimensional markers with machine-readable information items like RFID tags to control its movements and actions, allowing it to respond to specific instructions and interact with its environment in a playful and educational manner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the robot uses a closed street of cards for navigation, then navigation is possible, but the robot cannot move freely on a surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical card street guidance system with a wireless sensor-based detection system. The vehicle uses sensors to detect markers placed freely on the surface, eliminating the need for rigid mechanical rails or predefined card streets, thereby enabling free movement while maintaining navigation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces markers as intermediary objects that mediate between the vehicle's navigation system and the physical environment. These markers contain machine-readable information that the vehicle's sensors can detect, allowing the vehicle to navigate freely by detecting marker positions and instructions without mechanical constraints
2Adaptability or versatility
If the robot is designed to move freely without mechanical guidance, then navigational flexibility is improved, but navigation control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Markers serve as intermediary reference points that simplify position and direction detection. The markers contain machine-readable information items that encode position, orientation, and navigation instructions, making it easier for the vehicle's sensors to detect and interpret environmental information without complex algorithms
Solution Approach 2:
The markers are pre-configured with machine-readable information items that contain navigation instructions and position data before the vehicle arrives. This preliminary encoding of information allows the vehicle to simply detect and follow pre-planned paths without real-time complex calculations
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 children to learn programming concepts in a fun and interactive way by allowing the vehicle to move and steer freely, respond to markers, and perform various actions, enhancing the educational experience through customizable marker configurations and sensor interactions.
Implementation Method 1
The marker, as well as the vehicle, is adapted to be placeable freely on the surface. The marker thereby has a height above the surface that is larger than a ground clearance of the self-moving vehicle. Further, the self-moving vehicle comprises at least one sensor which is adapted for a wireless readout of the machine-readable information item of the marker
Data Source
AI summary
An educational toy (1) includes a self-moving vehicle (10) adapted to move and steer freely on a two-dimensional surface (2) such as a table leaf. A tangible, three-dimensional marker (20) includes at least one RFID tag (21) is used to wirelessly trigger a specific action of the vehicle (10), e.g. turn 90 degrees right, when the vehicle (10) enters a readout range of the marker (20). The marker (20) can be placed freely on the surface (2) and cannot be overrun by the vehicle (10). Thus, the vehicle (10) is instructed to perform a certain action, e.g. take a 90 degrees left turn, using the marker (20). Then, the vehicle (10) moves forward until a next marker (20′) is found from which the vehicle (10) receives its next instruction. This enables the educational toy (1) to teach programming during play, which reduces the risk that a user will lose interest.