Mobile Robot Interaction Control for Pedestrian Encounters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile robots face challenges in efficiently navigating and interacting with other actors in outdoor environments, leading to potential harm, obstruction, and delays in task completion due to inadequate communication and reaction strategies.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for mobile robots to detect actors using sensor systems, identify situations, and execute appropriate actions through various modalities such as auditory, visual, and motion-based communication, allowing for intuitive and safe navigation and interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If mobile robots navigate autonomously in outdoor environments without explicit interaction strategies, then device complexity is reduced, but harmful factors increase due to potential harm and obstruction to other actors
Solution Approach 1:
The robot determines and communicates its intended actions to other actors before executing them. This preliminary communication allows other actors to anticipate and adapt to the robot's movements, preventing harmful interactions and obstructions before they occur
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an interaction management system that mediates between the robot's navigation system and other actors. This intermediary layer processes sensor data, determines appropriate communication actions, and coordinates responses to resolve potential conflicts before they result in harm
2Productivity
If mobile robots use implicit communication patterns to interact with other actors, then productivity is improved by reducing waiting times, but device complexity increases due to multiple communication modalities
Solution Approach 1:
The interaction system is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting other actors, determining their state, selecting appropriate communication actions, and executing multi-modal communication (visual, auditory, haptic). This universal system handles all interaction requirements through a unified architecture, managing complexity through functional integration
Solution Approach 2:
The communication modality and content are dynamically selected based on the detected state of other actors and the current situation. The system adapts its communication strategy in real-time, switching between different modalities and levels of explicitness to optimize task completion while managing system complexity through context-dependent behavior
3Productivity
If mobile robots execute determined actions immediately upon detecting situations, then productivity is improved by reducing delays, but reliability decreases due to potential harmful interactions
Solution Approach 1:
Before executing actions that could affect other actors, the robot first communicates its intent and evaluates their state. This preliminary anti-action prevents harmful interactions by allowing other actors to react and adjust their behavior before the robot's action is completed, ensuring safer execution while maintaining reasonable response times
Data Source
AI summary
A method for interactions during encounters between a mobile robot and an actor, a mobile robot configured for execution of delivery tasks in an outdoor environment, and a use of the mobile robot. The method comprises the mobile robot traveling on a pedestrian pathway; detecting an actor by the mobile robot via a sensor system; identifying a situation associated with the detected actor; in response to the identified situation, determining an action to execute by the mobile robot, and executing the determined action by the mobile robot. The mobile robot comprises a navigation component configured for at least partially autonomous navigation in an outdoor environment; a sensor system configured for collecting sensor data during an encounter between the mobile robot and an actor; a processing component configured to process the sensor data and output actions for the mobile robot to perform; and an output component configured for executing actions determined by the processing component.