Autonomous Robot Imaging for Data Center Inventory Labels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Manually taking inventory of computer processing systems in large data centers is time-consuming and costly, necessitating an efficient and automated solution.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous mobile robot equipped with cameras and sensors navigates through the data center, identifies landmarks using image processing, and captures high-resolution images to extract inventory labels from objects, enabling automated inventory management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual inventory methods are used in large data centers, then human operators can directly observe and record object information, but the time consumption and operational costs become considerable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical inventory process with an autonomous mobile robot equipped with cameras and image processing capabilities. The robot autonomously navigates through the data center, captures images of objects, and extracts inventory information automatically, eliminating the need for human operators to manually observe and record data.
Solution Approach 2:
The inventory system performs self-service through the autonomous robot that independently navigates, captures images, processes visual data, and extracts inventory information without human intervention. The system updates inventory databases automatically, making the entire inventory process self-sufficient and eliminating dependency on human operators.
2Measurement precision
If high-resolution images are captured for all objects during navigation, then inventory label extraction accuracy improves, but the data processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by capturing high-resolution images only at specific data collection positions where objects are located, rather than maintaining high resolution throughout the entire navigation path. The robot captures lower-resolution positioning images during movement and switches to high-resolution capture only when needed for inventory label extraction, optimizing both accuracy and processing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses partial action by capturing high-resolution images only for specific objects at data collection positions rather than continuously capturing high-resolution images of all objects. This selective approach reduces the total volume of high-resolution data that needs processing while still achieving accurate inventory label extraction for all required objects.
Data Source
AI summary
System and method for taking inventory of a plurality of objects within a structure. The method is executed by a controller of an autonomous mobile robot and comprises causing the said robot to navigate through at least a portion of the structure, causing at least one camera of the robot to acquire a plurality of positioning images at a first resolution and determining that at least one positioning image contains an image of a predetermined landmark. In response to determining that the at least one positioning image contains the image of the predetermined landmark, the autonomous mobile robot navigates to a predetermined data collection position, the at least one camera of the autonomous mobile robot acquires at least one inventory image at a second resolution, the second image resolution being greater than the first resolution, and a plurality of inventory labels are extracted from the at least one inventory image.