Robot Inspection Path Planning Across Multiple Inspection Points
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic inspection systems face inefficiencies due to manual path planning between robot configurations for multiple inspection points, limiting their ability to inspect articles or parts effectively and requiring significant time and cost.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method generates a graph with each feasible robot configuration as a node, calculates distances between nodes, and uses algorithms like TSP and RRT to find the shortest complete path, enabling automated path planning that supports parallelization and reduces human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If manual path planning is used for robotic inspection systems, then path planning can be performed with simple methods, but the time and cost required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automated self-path-planning using the graph generation module, distance calculation module, and shortest path determination module. The robotic inspection system no longer requires manual human intervention to plan inspection paths, as it autonomously generates optimal paths by computing graphs of robot configurations, calculating distances between configurations, and determining shortest paths that visit all inspection points.
2Device complexity
If manual path planning is used for robotic inspection systems, then implementation can be simple, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical path planning with an automated computational system. Instead of human operators manually planning paths, the system uses computer-implemented modules to generate graphs, calculate distances, and determine optimal paths algorithmically, substituting human cognitive work with automated computational processes.
3Productivity
If automated path planning is implemented, then time and cost are reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated path planning system is divided into distinct functional modules: a graph generation module that creates graphs from robot configurations, a distance calculation module that computes distances between configurations, and a shortest path determination module that finds optimal paths. This segmentation allows each module to perform a specific function independently, making the overall complex system manageable and maintainable.
4Measurement precision
If multiple inspection points are inspected sequentially, then each point can be inspected thoroughly, but the total inspection time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary path planning by generating a complete graph of all possible robot configurations and calculating all pairwise distances before execution. This preliminary computation of the distance matrix allows the system to determine the optimal inspection sequence in advance, enabling efficient traversal of multiple inspection points without compromising inspection quality while minimizing total inspection time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and computing system comprising identifying a plurality of robot configurations for each inspection point of a plurality of inspection points of a problem. A graph may be generated with each feasible robot configuration as a node on the graph. A distance may be calculated between a pair of feasible robot configurations. A shortest complete path connecting each node on the graph may be obtained based upon, at least in part, the distance between the pair of feasible robot configurations.