Autonomous Mobile Robot Cell-Based Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous mobile robots, such as robotic vacuum cleaners, face inefficiencies and navigation errors when navigating cluttered floor areas due to unsystematic movement patterns and increased position tracking errors, leading to poor floor coverage performance.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous mobile robot equipped with a drive system, perceptors, and a controller that employs a floor covering strategy involving a topological map, initial and additional double strokes, and obstacle mapping to systematically and efficiently cover cluttered areas by designating cells, detecting obstacles, and updating the map to ensure thorough and accurate navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a random or simple repetitive movement pattern is employed to achieve coverage of cluttered floor areas, then the robot can navigate obstacles, but the position tracking error gradually increases causing mislocalization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the floor area into a topological map with discrete cells and uses a systematic cell-by-cell coverage strategy. The robot designates a current cell, executes double strokes within it, and updates the topological map accordingly. This segmentation approach replaces random movement with structured navigation, reducing position tracking errors while maintaining adaptability to cluttered environments.
2Productivity
If an excess of movements and covered distance is used to achieve suitable coverage, then all areas can be reached, but the robot's position tracking system exhibits gradually increasing position error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by continuously updating the topological map with the robot's position and coverage status. After executing double strokes in a cell, the robot determines whether the cell is fully covered and updates the map accordingly. This feedback mechanism allows the robot to track its position reliably and avoid redundant movements, maintaining both coverage completeness and position tracking reliability.
3Measurement precision
If a systematic cell-based approach is used to reduce position tracking errors, then navigation accuracy improves, but the complexity of the control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses segmentation to divide the complex navigation problem into manageable cell-based units. Each cell is processed independently through a standardized double-stroke routine, simplifying the control logic. The topological map provides a structured framework that reduces overall system complexity while maintaining high position tracking accuracy through systematic cell-by-cell coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous mobile robot is configured to move across a floor area in accordance with a floor covering strategy and includes: based on a topological map of the floor area, designating a location of a current cell that is bounded by a primary boundary; executing a series of double strokes into and within the current cell, while mapping obstructive objects within the current cell onto an obstacle map; from the obstacle map, determining a secondary boundary of the current cell that encloses an area of the current cell covered by the executed double strokes, and distinguishes between secondary boundary portions thereof at which an obstructive object is located, and secondary boundary portions thereof at which no obstructive object is located; and adding the determined secondary boundary to the topological map of the floor area.