Mobile Robot Image Capture Obstacle Avoidance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for capturing images of products, goods, and shelves using mobile robots face errors due to obstacles, such as people, which affect image quality and accuracy, and there is a lack of methods to adapt image creation to account for these obstacles.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robot system equipped with detection devices that recognize obstacles between sensors and imaging areas, adjusts the recording process to avoid obstacles, and improves imaging quality through sensor repositioning and post-processing to ensure accurate image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a mobile robot captures images of shelves in areas with people present, then the robot can perform inventory evaluation, but image errors occur due to obstacles (people) between the recording sensor and the shelf area
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary obstacle detection by scanning the area between the recording sensor and the target shelf region before capturing the image. If an obstacle is detected, the system triggers an evasive maneuver to move the obstacle away from the imaging path before the actual image capture, thereby preventing image errors proactively
Solution Approach 2:
When an obstacle is detected in the imaging path, the system executes a rapid evasive maneuver to quickly remove the obstacle from the field of view and immediately proceeds to capture the image, minimizing the time the obstacle blocks the view and maintaining high productivity
2Reliability
If the robot performs evasive maneuvers to avoid obstacles, then image quality improves, but the time required for image capture increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs only the minimum necessary evasive action required to clear the obstacle from the imaging path - just enough to move the obstacle out of the field of view, not a complete repositioning of the robot. This partial action resolves the image quality issue while minimizing time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The evasive maneuver is executed rapidly as a quick skip action rather than a gradual movement, and the system immediately transitions back to image capture mode, minimizing the time penalty imposed by the obstacle avoidance maneuver
3Measurement precision
If the system delays image capture until obstacles are removed, then measurement accuracy improves, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of obstacles and proactively executes evasive maneuvers to clear the imaging path before the scheduled image capture time, ensuring that when the image is finally captured, the view is clear and measurement accuracy is maximized without requiring repeated delays
4Reliability
If the system uses obstacle detection and evasive maneuvers, then image error reduction is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the mobile robot's existing autonomous navigation and movement capabilities, already present for general navigation, to perform the evasive maneuvers for obstacle removal. This multi-functional use of the robot's base movement system avoids adding dedicated mechanical obstacle removal devices, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while still achieving image error reduction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention comprises a system and method for detecting and preventing image errors, such as those that occur when creating images of products, goods, and/or shelves. In one aspect, obstacles between the image-capturing sensor and the products, goods, and/or shelves to be imaged are detected, and image creation is suppressed or delayed. In another aspect, the image-capture sensor is repositioned.