Robot Evacuation Route Management During Disaster Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing area and number of autonomous robots require significant manual effort from operators to evacuate them quickly during disasters, leading to a heavy processing load and difficulty in speedy evacuation.
Innovation Solution
A management device and method that collects external information, determines the position of robots in a disaster area, and recommends evacuation routes to a terminal device, reducing the operator's workload by providing pre-determined evacuation paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the area and number of autonomous robots are increased, then the coverage and capability of the robot system are improved, but the operator's workload and difficulty in evacuating robots during disasters increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the disaster response process by automatically dividing the large coverage area into multiple zones and identifying robots in each zone. The management device independently processes evacuation routes for each robot based on its position, rather than requiring the operator to manually manage all robots collectively. This segmentation reduces the operator's cognitive load and makes the evacuation process more manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically detecting disaster occurrences, identifying affected robots, calculating evacuation routes, and providing recommendations without operator intervention. The management device performs these functions autonomously using map information and robot position data, freeing the operator from manual evacuation management tasks while maintaining system control.
2Measurement precision
If manual evacuation processes are used for each robot, then precise control over individual robots is achieved, but the time required for evacuation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing map information including multiple evacuation routes and safe zones before disasters occur. When a disaster is detected, the management device immediately matches robot positions with pre-prepared route information, enabling rapid evacuation recommendations without time-consuming calculations during the emergency. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces evacuation time while maintaining precise robot identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring robot positions and comparing them against the disaster occurrence area. This real-time feedback loop enables the management device to quickly identify which robots are affected and provide targeted evacuation recommendations, reducing the time needed to assess the situation and take action while maintaining accurate position tracking.
3Reliability
If the operator manually collects disaster information and rewrites travel routes for each robot, then complete control over the evacuation process is maintained, but the processing load on the operator increases extremely
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple functions into the management device: disaster information collection, robot position tracking, affected robot identification, evacuation route calculation, and recommendation generation. By combining these functions into a single automated system, the complexity of the evacuation process is reduced while maintaining reliable control. The operator interacts with a unified interface rather than managing multiple separate tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The management device serves as an intermediary between the disaster environment and the operator. It automatically collects and processes disaster information, translates robot positions into evacuation recommendations, and presents processed information to the operator. This intermediary role filters and structures information, reducing the processing load on the operator while ensuring reliable evacuation control through systematic decision support.
Data Source
AI summary
A management device includes a storage configured to store map information on each area in which a robot that travels autonomously outdoors and indoors travels, and processing circuitry configured to collect external information containing disaster information, receive a current position of the robot or a travel route for the robot from a control device that controls the robot, based on the external information, sense occurrence of a disaster and a disaster occurrence area in which the disaster occurs, based on the current position of the robot or the travel route for the robot, specify the robot that is positioned in the disaster occurrence area or the robot that is predicted to be positioned in the disaster occurrence area, and based on the external information and the map information, determine an evacuation route to an evacuation site that is set previously.