Mobile Robot Boundary Mapping Without Rotary Laser Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot navigation technologies, such as laser navigation, require a rotary laser mechanism, increasing cost and necessitating a hollow or protrusion on the robot, while visual navigation lacks efficient boundary scanning methods.
Innovation Solution
A method using remote sensors on the side surfaces of a mobile robot to mark environment boundaries without rotational scanning, combining initial rotation for exploration boundaries with advance-based local boundary marking to form effective distance measurement areas, and adjusting boundaries for overlap with historical maps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a rotary laser mechanism is used for laser navigation, then environment boundary scanning accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the boundary scanning function from the rotary laser mechanism and implements it using a simple remote sensor mounted on the robot body. The remote sensor detects distance information to environment boundaries without requiring any rotational scanning mechanism, thereby eliminating the complex rotary laser mechanism while maintaining boundary detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical rotary laser scanning system with an optical/electronic remote sensing system. Instead of using a mechanically rotating laser to scan boundaries, the system uses a stationary remote sensor that measures distance to boundaries through optical means, substituting a complex mechanical system with a simpler electronic sensing approach
2Measurement precision
If a rotary laser mechanism is used, then environment outline scanning is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to hollow or protrusion requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the requirement for hollow or protrusion mold structures by eliminating the rotary laser mechanism. The remote sensor is mounted directly on the robot body surface without requiring any special mold features, simplifying the manufacturing process and eliminating complex mold requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of mounting the sensor on the top surface of the robot body (which would require hollow or protrusion structures), the patent inverts the mounting approach by placing the remote sensor on the side surface of the robot body. This inversion eliminates the need for complex mold structures while maintaining the ability to scan environment outlines
3Device complexity
If remote sensor on side surface is used instead of rotary laser, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement coverage area is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the robot body movable to compensate for the limited field of view of the stationary remote sensor. By dynamically moving the robot to different positions and orientations, the system can scan and map the entire environment boundary, transforming a static limited-coverage system into a dynamic full-coverage system through robot locomotion
4Device complexity
If environment boundaries are delimited by remote sensor marking, then cost is reduced, but computation accuracy may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms to correct and refine boundary marking accuracy. The system continuously compares detected boundaries with expected patterns, uses multiple sensing points to verify measurements, and applies computational algorithms to filter errors and improve the precision of the final boundary map, thereby maintaining high accuracy despite using a simple remote sensor
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 cost-effective acquisition of indoor environment outlines without rotary lasers, reducing computation errors and improving user experience through precise boundary mapping.
Implementation Method 1
a remote sensor arranged on a side surface is used to mark local boundaries step by step
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
Disclosed is an environment boundary construction method based on a remote sensor and a mobile robot. The environment boundary construction method includes: step 1, starting the mobile robot, and then controlling the mobile robot to rotate, so as to enable the mobile robot to mark exploration boundaries according to sensed distance information of the remote sensor; step 2, marking a local boundary according to a sensed distance of the remote sensor on the same side surface of the mobile robot when the mobile robot advances in a preset planned direction after the mobile robot completes rotation, where the preset planned direction is selected and configured from directions of all the marked exploration boundaries; and step 3, delimiting environment boundaries of an effective distance measurement area of the mobile robot by the local boundary and the exploration boundaries, where at least one remote sensor is mounted on a side surface of a body of the mobile robot. According to the disclosure, a room outline can be acquired in advance without rotary scanning of light detection and ranging.