Autonomous Robot Route Planning for Shared Worker Delivery Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current route generation methods for autonomous mobile robots do not account for the differing optimal routes between the robot and a worker, leading to increased movement time and efficiency losses when the robot needs to return to a loading point during delivery, affecting worker fatigue and overall operation efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A route generation method that first determines the shortest order for the worker to visit multiple destinations and then generates a corresponding route for the robot to follow, allowing it to pass through the same destinations in the same order while returning to the loading point, optimizing both routes to minimize time and energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the autonomous mobile robot calculates the shortest route returning to the loading point at each delivery destination, then the robot's travel distance is minimized, but the worker's movement time increases and work efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the robot's route planning with the worker's route planning into a unified joint route plan. Instead of optimizing routes separately, the system coordinates both routes to share common path segments, allowing the worker to accompany the robot along optimized paths while performing delivery tasks, thereby reducing the worker's total movement time without increasing the robot's energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a joint route planning mechanism as an intermediary that coordinates between the robot's navigation system and the worker's movement. This mediator optimizes the sequence of delivery destinations and identifies shared path segments, enabling the worker to efficiently accompany the robot while performing unloading tasks at each destination.
2Productivity
If the autonomous mobile robot follows the shortest route order, then the robot completes deliveries efficiently, but the worker experiences increased fatigue and longer arrival times at destinations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the robot's delivery route with the worker's movement route into a coordinated joint plan. The system identifies delivery destinations that share common path segments and sequences them to minimize the worker's backtracking, allowing the worker to accompany the robot efficiently while performing unloading tasks, thereby maintaining robot productivity while improving worker ease of movement.
3Quantity of substance
If the robot returns to the loading point multiple times during delivery, then the robot maintains its load capacity, but the overall work time increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by planning the entire delivery sequence in advance, considering the robot's load capacity constraints. The joint route planning system identifies optimal delivery sequences that minimize the number of return trips to the loading point by strategically selecting destinations that can be visited in batches, allowing the robot to maintain load capacity while reducing total work duration through coordinated worker accompaniment.
Data Source
AI summary
An operation management device (20) generates a route along which an autonomous mobile robot (10) travels from a departure point(S) and passes through delivery destinations (N1) to (N12) by moving. A processor (21) of the operation management device (20) acquires the order of the delivery destinations (N1) to (N12) for passing through the delivery destinations (N1) to (N12) by a shortest route. The processor (21) further generates a route for passing through the delivery destinations (N1) to (N12) by moving multiple times from the departure point(S), based on the acquired order.