Autonomous Mobile Robot Recovery After Emergency Stop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous mobile apparatus control systems do not effectively recover from an emergency stop state, particularly when an obstacle is detected, and lack clear methods to resume autonomous driving safely.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous mobile apparatus control system comprising a higher-level management apparatus and environment cameras that transmit images to manage and instruct the robot to resume autonomous driving after safety confirmation using proximity sensors, allowing the system to recover from a stuck state by providing operation instructions based on environmental data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the autonomous mobile robot performs emergency stop when obstacle is detected, then safety is improved, but the robot cannot resume autonomous driving
Solution Approach 1:
The higher-level management apparatus acts as an intermediary between the robot and the environment. It receives images from environment cameras, determines safety of the surrounding environment, and generates recovery instructions to help the robot resume autonomous driving after emergency stop
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses environment cameras to continuously monitor the surrounding environment and provides feedback to the higher-level management apparatus. This feedback loop enables the system to determine when it is safe to resume autonomous driving and to provide appropriate recovery instructions
2Reliability
If the robot enters stuck state due to proximity sensor detection, then collision avoidance is improved, but the robot cannot move from the stuck state
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the operation of the proximity sensor based on the current state. When the robot is in stuck state, the proximity sensor is invalidated or the detection threshold is relaxed, allowing the robot to move based on higher-level instructions rather than being constrained by the proximity sensor
Solution Approach 2:
The higher-level management apparatus serves as a mediator that receives images from environment cameras, determines safety, and generates recovery instructions to help the robot escape from stuck state by providing appropriate movement commands
Data Source
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AI summary
When an autonomous mobile robot is acquires enters a stuck state in which the autonomous mobile robot cannot autonomosly move, an autonomous mobile apparatus control system according to the present disclosure transmits an autonomous cancel notification for notifying the higher-level management apparatus that the autonomous mobile robot cannot autonomosly move (S5), waits for an operation instruction from the higher-level management apparatus after the transmission of the autonomous cancel notification (S8). The higher-level management apparatus gives an operation instruction to the autonomous mobile robot in response to receiving the autonomous cancel notification based on information acquired from at least one of the plurality of environment cameras (S8). The autonomous mobile robot is configured to resume autonomous driving in response to safety confirmation based on a proximity sensor provided in the autonomous mobile robot after operating in accordance with the operation instruction (S10).