Mobile Robot Sensor Pointing for Precise Alignment Pose Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic systems face challenges in accurately and autonomously capturing sensor data from target locations without user intervention, particularly in aligning sensors to ensure precise data capture.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that enables a robot to determine a target direction and alignment pose for its sensors based on their orientation relative to a target location, allowing it to move into an alignment pose and capture data accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the robot autonomously determines alignment pose and target direction, then automation extent is improved, but measurement precision of sensor orientation may deteriorate due to computational errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by using sensor data to verify and adjust the alignment pose. The sensor captures data from the target location, and the system uses this feedback to refine the positioning and orientation, ensuring measurement precision is maintained while achieving full automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations to determine the alignment pose and target direction before actual sensor capture. This preliminary action includes computing the optimal robot pose and sensor orientation based on target location, allowing the autonomous system to prepare accurate pointing parameters in advance.
2Manufacturing precision
If the robot moves to alignment pose to compensate for orientation errors, then sensor data capture accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot's control system is designed to handle multiple functions: navigation to target location, calculation of alignment pose, determination of target direction, and coordination of sensor pointing. By making the control system universal, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated systems for each function, thus managing complexity while achieving high capture accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the alignment pose determination and target direction calculation into a unified computational framework. Instead of separate systems for positioning and orientation, the invention merges these functions into an integrated control algorithm that simultaneously considers both aspects, reducing overall system complexity.
3Measurement precision
If the system uses PTZ sensor alignment with feedback data, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The PTZ sensor system uses alignment feedback data to continuously monitor and adjust its pointing accuracy. The feedback mechanism compares the actual sensor orientation with the target direction and makes real-time adjustments, ensuring high measurement precision while using a relatively simple control loop.
Solution Approach 2:
The PTZ sensor system performs self-alignment using the feedback data from alignment measurements. The system automatically adjusts its own orientation without requiring external intervention or complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms, achieving high precision through self-correcting behavior.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method executed by data processing hardware of a robot causes the data processing hardware to perform operations. The operations include receiving a sensor pointing command that commands the robot to use a sensor to capture sensor data of a location in an environment of the robot. The sensor is disposed on the robot. The operations include determining, based on an orientation of the sensor relative to the location, a direction for pointing the sensor toward the location, and an alignment pose of the robot to cause the sensor to point in the direction toward the location. The operations include commanding the robot to move from a current pose to the alignment pose. After the robot moves to the alignment pose and the sensor is pointing in the direction toward the location, the operations include commanding the sensor to capture the sensor data of the location in the environment.