Smart Community Robot Transport via Carrier and Virtual Deployment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack efficient methods for sharing and transporting robots between smart homes and smart communities, limiting the utilization and coordination of robotic services across multiple locations.
Innovation Solution
A system that determines the need for robotic services in smart communities, identifying whether physical or virtual transport is required, and initiates communication with a robot transport controller or radio access network to schedule and configure robots for service performance, utilizing carrier robots for physical transport and virtual transport via radio access networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If physical transport of robots between smart homes is implemented, then service availability across multiple locations is improved, but system complexity and transport coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A transport controller is introduced as an intermediary component that manages the physical transport of robots between smart homes. The controller receives service requests, determines transport needs, coordinates with carrier robots, and schedules deliveries, thereby reducing the complexity burden on individual smart home systems while enabling cross-location service availability.
Solution Approach 2:
Carrier robots are equipped with autonomous navigation and transport capabilities, allowing them to self-manage the physical transport of service robots between locations without requiring complex external coordination for each individual transport task. The carrier robots independently execute transport operations based on scheduling information.
2Productivity
If virtual transport via radio access network is used, then deployment speed and service configuration efficiency are improved, but network dependency and communication requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical mechanical transport of robot configurations with virtual transport through radio access networks. Instead of physically moving robot units or their configuration data through wired connections, the system uses wireless communication to transmit service configuration information rapidly, significantly improving deployment speed while introducing network communication requirements.
3Adaptability or versatility
If carrier robots are deployed for physical transport, then robot sharing between communities is enabled, but additional hardware resources and transport infrastructure are required
Solution Approach 1:
Carrier robots are designed as multi-functional units that can transport different types of service robots (cleaning robots, security robots, delivery robots) across multiple smart homes and communities. This universal design allows a single carrier robot fleet to serve multiple purposes and locations, reducing the total number of carrier robots needed compared to dedicated transport systems for each robot type.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method in which a processing system determines that performance of a service is required at a first location in a smart community; identifies a robot to be transported, and determines whether physical transport or virtual transport is to be performed for the robot. If physical transport is to be performed, the system initiates communication with a robot transport controller to schedule the physical transport to the first location from a different second location. If virtual transport is to be performed, the processing system initiates communication with a radio access network (RAN) to schedule the virtual transport; the virtual transport includes configuring the robot at the first location. Other embodiments are disclosed.