Transport Robot Handover Control After Robot Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport systems face inefficiencies when a transport vehicle breaks down, as the transported object cannot be moved to the handover area, leading to disruptions in the transportation process.
Innovation Solution
A robot control system that acquires error information from a malfunctioning transport robot, determines a suitable replacement robot, and moves it to the transfer location of the transported object, allowing for seamless continuation of the transport task, with the option to prioritize transfers based on object information and request staff intervention when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single transport robot is assigned to a transported object, then the transport task can be executed by a dedicated robot, but the system reliability deteriorates when the robot breaks down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functionality mechanism where any transport robot in the fleet can serve multiple purposes: normal transport tasks and emergency takeover of failed robots' objects. The control device maintains a dynamic allocation system where robots are not dedicated to single objects but can be reassigned based on real-time status, allowing the system to handle failures without requiring specialized backup robots.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing a robot allocation system and monitoring mechanisms before failures occur. When a robot breaks down, the system has already positioned other robots and prepared allocation logic to immediately take over the failed robot's transported objects, eliminating the need for reactive reconfiguration during emergencies.
2Productivity
If transport robots operate autonomously without manual intervention, then operational efficiency is improved, but the system loses flexibility to handle unexpected failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the control device continuously monitors robot status, position, and health. When a failure is detected, the system receives feedback about the failed robot's transported objects and automatically adjusts allocations. The system also provides feedback to staff members about failure situations, enabling hybrid autonomous-manual response that maintains both efficiency and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device acts as an intermediary between autonomous robots and human staff members. It receives autonomous robot operations, monitors for failures, and when failures occur, it mediates by automatically reallocating tasks and notifying staff members. This intermediary layer allows the system to maintain autonomous operation for normal tasks while providing adaptive human-in-the-loop control for exception handling.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot control system according to the present embodiment is a robot control system that controls a plurality of transport robots that is travelable autonomously in a facility. The robot control system: acquires error information indicating that an error has occurred in a first transport robot; acquires transported object information related to a transported object of the first transport robot; determines a second transport robot able to transport the transported object of the first transport robot among the transport robots based on the transported object information and the error information; and moves the second transport robot to a transfer location of the transported object of the first transport robot.