Mobile Robot Auxiliary Wheel Speed Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot systems face challenges in smoothly and stably seating mobile robots on moving walkways and accurately calculating speed differences between mobile robots and moving walkways, which affects their synchronization and stability.
Innovation Solution
A robot system with a mobile robot equipped with a driving wheel, a driving motor, a load cell, a spring, and an auxiliary wheel, where the auxiliary wheel is connected to the spring and senses movement speed, and a controller adjusts the driving motor speed based on the load cell's sensing values to synchronize with the moving walkway speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the driving motor speed is adjusted to match moving walkway speed, then synchronization and stability are improved, but the complexity of speed detection and control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an auxiliary wheel as an intermediary component that contacts the moving walkway surface. This auxiliary wheel passively rotates and drives a gear mechanism, which in turn rotates a pulley. The pulley's rotation is detected by an optical sensor to generate speed information. This intermediary mechanism translates the moving walkway's motion into detectable signals without requiring direct complex sensing on the robot body, thus improving reliability while managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex electronic speed sensing systems with a mechanical-gear-pulley-optical sensor mechanism. Instead of using sophisticated motors encoders or radar-based speed detection, the system uses the auxiliary wheel's mechanical rotation coupled with gear transmission and optical sensing to determine speed. This substitution simplifies the control system while maintaining accurate speed detection capability.
2Device complexity
If an auxiliary wheel with spring connection is used to sense speed, then the structure becomes simpler, but the precision of speed measurement may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-connected auxiliary wheel acts as a mechanical intermediary that indirectly senses the moving walkway's speed. The spring provides flexible coupling between the auxiliary wheel and the robot body, allowing the wheel to rotate freely with the walkway's motion while transmitting rotational information through the gear-pulley system to the optical sensor. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall structure compared to rigid direct-mounted sensors while maintaining measurement capability through the chain of mechanical transmissions.
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
The system ensures stable and smooth seating of mobile robots on moving walkways by dynamically adjusting the driving motor speed to match the walkway speed, minimizing overturning and shaking, and effectively synchronizing the movement speed of the mobile robot with the moving walkway.
Implementation Method 1
a load cell provided in the mobile robot, a spring connected to the load cell
Implementation Method 2
a spring connected to the load cell and the auxiliary wheel
Data Source
AI summary
A robot system includes a mobile robot provided with a driving wheel and a driving motor, a load cell provided in the mobile robot, a spring connected to the load cell, an auxiliary wheel connected to the spring, and a controller configured to change a speed of the driving motor according to a sensing value of the load cell.