Mobile Robot Conveyance Restart After Facility Blockade Events
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing conveyance systems, such as those described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-294832, do not efficiently restart the operation of mobile robots conveying objects after a blockade request event is cancelled, leading to potential safety and operational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A conveyance system and method that utilizes a facility management system to restrict and then reboot mobile robots autonomously moving within a facility, allowing for immediate resumption of conveyance operations upon cancellation of a blockade request event, with features including priority-based operation restrictions and area-specific control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mobile robots continue operation during a blockade request event, then productivity is maintained, but safety and operational reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts robot operations based on blockade request status. Robots automatically transition between operational and restricted states in response to changing facility conditions, allowing productivity to be maintained when safe and suspended when necessary for safety
2Productivity
If mobile robots are immediately restarted after blockade cancellation, then productivity recovers quickly, but system stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions before full operation resumption. Robots execute a warm-up sequence including system checks, gradual movement resumption, and status verification before returning to full conveyance operations, ensuring both quick recovery and system stability
3Reliability
If operation restriction is implemented during blockade event, then safety is improved, but productivity and operational efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies operation restrictions selectively rather than uniformly. Specific robots in affected areas are restricted while others continue operating, maintaining safety in blockade zones while preserving productivity in unaffected areas of the facility
Data Source
AI summary
In a conveyance system, a conveyance object is conveyed by use of a plurality of mobile robots autonomously movable inside a facility. In a case where a blockade request event occurs in at least one area inside the facility, the conveyance system receives occurrence information transmitted from a facility management system configured to manage the facility and causes the mobile robots to execute an operation restriction to restrict operations of the mobile robots. In a case where a predetermined condition for the blockade request event is established after the mobile robots execute the operation restriction, the conveyance system reboots the mobile robots.