Robot SLAM Path Planning for Fast Coverage Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous robots face challenges in efficiently navigating and mapping environments with minimal redundant coverage, as traditional SLAM techniques require extensive time and perimeter tracing, which is not ideal for service-oriented tasks like robotic vacuums.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a Light Weight Real Time SLAM Navigational Stack that reduces computational burden, allowing for faster mapping and navigation, and the use of a processor that adjusts paths in real-time to include detours around objects, with sensors determining optimal overlap and coverage statistics for efficient area coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional SLAM techniques are used for mapping and navigation, then complete environmental maps can be generated, but navigation time and computational resources are excessively consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the perimeter tracing step from traditional SLAM techniques, allowing robots to perform area coverage tasks without completing full perimeter mapping first. This selective extraction of necessary functions reduces navigation time while maintaining sufficient mapping accuracy for service tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial SLAM by performing only the essential mapping and navigation functions needed for area coverage, rather than completing exhaustive perimeter tracing. This partial action approach provides sufficient mapping accuracy for service-oriented tasks while significantly reducing computational burden and navigation time.
2Reliability
If traditional SLAM techniques with perimeter tracing are used, then complete environmental understanding is achieved, but battery consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the computationally intensive perimeter tracing component from traditional SLAM, retaining only the essential area coverage mapping functions. This extraction maintains sufficient environmental understanding for service tasks while reducing battery consumption by eliminating redundant computational operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs partial SLAM by executing only the minimum necessary mapping operations for area coverage tasks, avoiding excessive perimeter tracing. This approach maintains adequate environmental mapping reliability for service-oriented applications while significantly reducing energy consumption.
3Measurement precision
If extensive perimeter tracing is performed before area coverage, then complete boundary detection is achieved, but task execution time is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary boundary detection during the area coverage process itself, rather than requiring complete perimeter tracing before task execution. This preliminary action approach detects boundaries on-the-fly, maintaining adequate boundary detection accuracy while enabling immediate task execution without delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial boundary detection by identifying sufficient boundaries during area coverage operations, rather than performing exhaustive perimeter tracing beforehand. This provides adequate boundary detection for navigation while significantly improving task execution speed by eliminating preparatory delays.
Data Source
AI summary
A media storing instructions that when executed by a processor of a robot effectuates operations including detecting an object in a line of sight of at least one sensor; adjusting a current path of the robot to include a detour path around the object, instructing the robot to resume along the current path after avoiding the object, discounting areas of overlap from a total area covered based on at least some data collected by sensors, inferring previously visited areas and unvisited areas, generating a planar representation of a workspace of the robot by stitching data collected by at least some sensors of the robot at overlapping points, and transmitting the planar representation and coverage statistics to an application of a communication device configured to display the information.