Mobile Robot Arm and Rotating Ring for Building Access Checks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The adoption of robots in commercial and industrial settings, particularly in environments requiring frequent human-robot interactions, is hindered by the lack of technologies that enable them to effectively communicate with and navigate through building infrastructure, perform security operations, and manage inventory.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robot equipped with a motorized base, a mechanical arm on a rotatable ring, and various sensors, allowing it to perform tasks such as opening doors, using elevators, and checking lock states, while being ambidextrous and capable of interacting with its environment through a central system that generates motion plans and executes tasks autonomously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a mobile robot is equipped with a mechanical arm and rotatable ring to interact with building infrastructure, then the robot's ability to perform security operations and navigate through infrastructure is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical arm is designed to perform multiple functions including opening doors, pressing elevator buttons, and checking lock states. The rotatable ring enables the arm to reach objects in various directions, making the same hardware configuration adaptable to different building infrastructure elements without requiring specialized components for each task.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotatable ring provides dynamic positioning capability, allowing the mechanical arm to rotate and reach objects in different directions as needed. This dynamic adjustment enables the robot to adapt to various door orientations, elevator button positions, and lock locations without requiring multiple fixed mechanical arms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the robot uses a mechanical arm with rotatable ring to reach and manipulate objects, then the robot's operational capability in diverse settings is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to complex motion planning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The robot's controller autonomously generates motion plans for the mechanical arm and rotatable ring based on sensor data and task requirements. The system self-manages the complex coordination of multiple degrees of freedom without requiring manual intervention, automatically calculating the sequence of rotations and arm movements needed to reach and manipulate target objects.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot uses sensor feedback to continuously monitor the positions of the mechanical arm and rotatable ring, adjusting motion plans in real-time to achieve precise manipulation of door handles, elevator buttons, and locks. The controller processes sensor data to determine when the arm has reached the desired position and applies appropriate force for the intended action.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile robot is configured for operation in a commercial or industrial setting, such as an office building or retail store. The mobile robot can have a motorized base and a robot body on the motorized base, the robot body including a rotatable ring that rotates horizontally around the robot body. A mechanical arm that can contract and extend relative to the robot body is coupled to the rotatable ring and performs a plurality of actions. A controller of the mobile robot provides instructions to the rotatable ring and the mechanical arm and can cause the mechanical arm to open a door, take an elevator to move to a different floor, and test whether a door is locked properly.