Robot Collision Avoidance Using Directional Infrared Signal Mapping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Floor mopping robots often collide with charging bases due to unstable infrared guidance signals, leading to reduced working efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A method for preventing collisions by establishing safety areas based on real-time detection of base avoidance signals, marking danger areas, and controlling the robot's movement to avoid the charging base, using infrared receiving sensors in multiple directions to predict and map the charging base's position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If infrared base avoidance signals are used to guide robots to avoid charging bases, then robots can return to charging bases automatically, but the infrared signals are unstable and cause robots to collide with charging bases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic return to charging baseVSAvoidcollision avoidance reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The working area is divided into a safety area and a danger area based on the direction feature relationship between the base avoidance signal and the robot's working path. The safety area is established where the robot can work normally, while the danger area is marked where collision risk exists, allowing the robot to segment its navigation decisions accordingly

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The robot predicts the charging base's position in advance by detecting the direction feature relationship between the base avoidance signal and its current working path, then establishes the safety area beforehand. This preliminary action allows the robot to avoid collisions before they occur rather than reacting after detection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Object-affected harmful factors

If robots avoid charging bases by receiving base avoidance signals, then collision avoidance is attempted, but the limited distance and signal instability prevent effective avoidance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision with charging baseVSAvoidposition detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of relying solely on signal intensity detection in one dimension, the patent uses the direction feature relationship between the base avoidance signal and the robot's working path as an additional dimensional parameter. This directional information provides more precise positioning data about the charging base's location relative to the robot's path

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Productivity

If robots use infrared signals for base avoidance, then automatic navigation is enabled, but working efficiency decreases due to frequent collisions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveworking efficiencyVSAvoidnavigation stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The robot continuously detects the base avoidance signal during movement and dynamically adjusts its path based on the established safety area. This feedback mechanism allows the robot to respond to changing signal conditions and maintain stable navigation, thereby improving working efficiency by reducing unnecessary collisions and retractions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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

Effectively prevents collisions with charging bases, improving the robot's working efficiency by minimizing interference from unstable infrared signals.

Implementation Method 1

most of the charging bases use infrared signals to guide the robots to return to the charging bases

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared radiation detection: Infrared Radiation

Data Source

PatentEP4030257B1Method for preventing robot from colliding with charging base
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 AMICRO SEMICONDUCTOR CO LTD
  • EP4030257B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4030257B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4030257B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A method for preventing a robot from colliding with a charging base, including: step 1, during a process of moving in a current working area of the robot, detecting, in real time, a reception condition of a base avoidance signal of the robot within a received signal coverage range thereof, and the base avoidance signal is from the charging base that is specifically used for charging the robot; and step 2, establishing a safety area in the current working area according to the base avoidance signal received by the robot and a direction feature relationship of a preset working path of the robot, and before establishing the safety area, according to an orientation relationship between the base avoidance signal received by the robot and a direction of a current moving path of the robot, marking and establishing a danger area at a position that satisfies a collision avoidance relationship with a current position of the robot, so that the robot avoids the charging base during the process of moving in the current working area. An effective working area at the periphery of the charging base is planned by establishing the danger area and the safety area, such that the robot is not interfered by the base avoidance signal, and effectively avoids the charging base.