Work Robot Collision-Side Control for Obstacle Detouring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional work robots face inefficiencies when encountering obstacles, as they often re-travel areas where work has already been completed, leading to prolonged completion times for tasks like lawn mowing or cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A work robot equipped with a collision sensor system that determines the side of collision and adjusts its orientation by less than 90 degrees to detour around obstacles, minimizing re-traversal of completed areas, using a combination of magnets and hall sensors to accurately detect collisions and control movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the work robot changes traveling direction to detour around an obstacle, then the robot can continue working, but it may re-travel areas where work has already been completed, causing a decrease in work efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the detection function by using multiple collision sensors positioned at different locations (front, rear, left, right) to detect collisions from different directions. This segmentation allows the control device to determine the specific collision side and implement directional detour, preventing re-traversal of completed areas while maintaining continuous work capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuing forward after collision (conventional approach), the patent inverts the approach by determining the collision side and changing orientation toward the opposite side. This inversion ensures the robot detours around the obstacle without backtracking into already worked areas, resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
2Device complexity
If the work robot uses a simple contact detection mechanism, then the device complexity is reduced, but it cannot determine the collision side, leading to inefficient detour paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the collision detection system into multiple independent sensors positioned at different locations around the robot body. This segmentation enables the system to determine collision direction by comparing signals from different sensors, achieving side determination without requiring complex single-sensor mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The collision sensors serve multiple functions: detecting collision occurrence, determining collision side, and providing input for detour path calculation. This multi-functionality achieves efficient collision response without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables the work robot to efficiently complete tasks by reducing unnecessary detours and ensuring that the entire area is worked on without prolonged completion times, even in the presence of obstacles.
Implementation Method 1
a first hall sensor (51) configured to output a first signal regarding a magnetic field generated by the first magnet (52)
Implementation Method 2
first hall sensor (51) configured to output a first signal regarding a magnetic field generated by the first magnet (52)
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a work robot capable of suppressing a decrease in work efficiency in an area where an obstacle exists.The work robot 1 comprises a traveling device 3, first and second collision sensors 5, 6, and a control device 7. The control device 7 is configured to determine, based on signals received from the first and second collision sensors 5, 6, whether or not the work robot 1 has collided with an obstacle 9, and further determine a collision side indicative of whether the work robot 1 has collided with the obstacle 9 on the left side with respect to the center C of the work robot 1, or has collided with the obstacle 9 on the right side with respect to the center C of the work robot 1, so as to control the traveling device 3. The control device 7 is operable, when it determines that the work robot 1 has collided with the obstacle 9, to control the traveling device 3 to change the orientation of the work robot 1 toward a side opposite to the collision side, and then move the work robot 1 forwardly.