Mobile Robot Path Marking for Landmark-Free Trajectory Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mobile robot tracking systems fail to maintain accurate tracking control in broad spaces without landmarks, leading to difficulties in recognizing positions and executing tracking control along identical trajectories, especially when multiple robots are involved.

Innovation Solution

A mobile robot configuration that includes a drawing unit to mark its travel locus on the plane, a detector to identify the drawn locus, and a drive controller to navigate along it, allowing multiple robots to track each other's paths even in landmark-free environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If autonomous navigation with landmark recognition is used for position recognition, then robots can navigate in environments with walls and landmarks, but robots cannot recognize their positions in broad spaces without landmarks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation capability in environments with landmarksVSAvoidposition recognition reliability in landmark-free environments

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a marker as an intermediary object that the robot carries and uses for self-position recognition. Instead of relying on environmental landmarks, the robot projects markers onto the ground and detects them to determine its own position, creating a self-contained reference system that works in any environment regardless of landmarks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The robot creates a copy of its own position information by projecting markers that represent its location on the ground. These markers serve as a visual copy of the robot's position that can be detected and used for navigation, allowing the robot to maintain position awareness without environmental landmarks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Productivity

If tracking control along identical trajectory is implemented for multiple robots, then robots can maintain formation and avoid obstacles, but robots require accurate autonomous position recognition which fails in broad spaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking control efficiency for multiple robotsVSAvoidposition recognition accuracy in broad spaces

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The marker serves as an intermediary that enables tracking between robots. By projecting and detecting markers, robots can accurately determine their positions relative to each other and the trajectory, enabling precise tracking control without relying on environmental landmarks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The marker detection system provides continuous feedback about the robot's position on the trajectory. The robot detects the marker's position, compares it with the expected position, and adjusts its navigation accordingly, enabling accurate tracking control in formation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10906179B2Mobile robot and method of tracking mobile robot

Publication Date: 2021.02.02 PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORP

AI summary

A mobile robot includes a mobile robot body, a drawing unit provided at the mobile robot body and including a marker configured to draw a travel locus of the mobile robot on a travel plane, and a detector provided at the mobile robot body and configured to detect the travel locus drawn by the drawing unit. The mobile robot travels along the travel locus detected by the detector.