Robot Navigation Across Moving Conveyor Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing navigation systems for robots in dynamic environments, such as production facilities with moving parts, face instability due to the requirement of static maps for positioning and route planning, leading to navigation challenges when dealing with moving belts or conveyor systems.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that uses two separate navigation systems, each with its own coordinate system, to handle static and dynamic areas, allowing the robot to switch between them seamlessly by using shared data and an overlap area for reliable control and stable localization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single navigation system with a static map is used for robot positioning and route planning, then the navigation system is simple to implement, but it becomes unstable and unreliable when the robot operates in dynamic environments with moving belts or conveyor systems
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system is divided into two separate navigation systems: a first navigation system for static areas and a second navigation system for dynamic areas. Each navigation system operates independently with its own coordinate system, allowing the robot to switch between them based on the environment. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by improving reliability in dynamic environments without requiring a complete redesign of the entire navigation system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between a static coordinate system (for stationary areas) and a moving coordinate system (for areas with moving belts or conveyors). The second navigation system is specifically designed to handle dynamic environments by using a coordinate system that moves with the conveyor belt, thereby improving navigation reliability in dynamic conditions while maintaining system manageability through modular design.
2Measurement precision
If a single coordinate system is used for navigation, then the system is easy to manage, but it cannot accurately represent both static and dynamic areas simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
Different coordinate systems are applied to different spatial regions: a static coordinate system for stationary areas and a moving coordinate system for dynamic areas with conveyors or belts. The system selects the appropriate coordinate system based on the robot's current location, thereby achieving high positioning accuracy in both static and dynamic environments without requiring a single complex coordinate system to handle all cases.
Solution Approach 2:
A coordinate transformation module acts as an intermediary between the first and second navigation systems. This module converts coordinates and path data between the static and moving coordinate systems, enabling seamless transitions and accurate positioning across different area types. The intermediary handles the complexity of multiple coordinate systems while presenting a unified interface to the robot control system.
3Productivity
If navigation algorithms assume a static map, then the algorithms are computationally efficient, but they fail to provide stable positioning in dynamic environments
Solution Approach 1:
The computational workload is segmented by creating separate navigation systems for static and dynamic areas. The first navigation system uses efficient static map algorithms for stationary areas, while the second navigation system handles dynamic areas with specialized algorithms that account for moving surfaces. This segmentation maintains computational efficiency in static regions while improving positioning stability in dynamic regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fundamental parameter of the map representation based on the environment: using a static map for stationary areas and a dynamically adjusted map for areas with moving belts or conveyors. The second navigation system continuously updates its map representation to reflect the moving surface, thereby achieving stable positioning in dynamic environments while the first navigation system maintains high computational efficiency in static areas.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for navigating a robot (10) moved by means of a drive unit, in which method a first navigation system assigned to a first region (12) determines a first travel path in the first region using first environmental data of the first region (12) and provides corresponding first control data for moving the robot (10) along the first travel path for the drive unit of the robot (10). A second navigation system, which is assigned to a second region (14) that moves relative to the first region (12), determines a second travel path in the second region using second environmental data of the second region (14) and provides corresponding second control data for the drive unit of the robot (10) for moving along the second travel path.