Robot Intermediate Waypoint Generation for Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic devices navigating constrained environments often become stuck or trapped due to unaccounted obstacles, as they rely on high-level map data that fails to include dynamic objects, leading to inefficient navigation and potential entrapment.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating intermediate waypoints in real-time using image data from sensors, which involves creating a sparse graph based on body obstacle maps, determining valid yaw configurations, and adding intermediate waypoints to the navigation route to avoid obstacles, allowing the robot to navigate around larger dynamic objects effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If high-level map data is used for navigation, then the navigation system is simple to operate, but the robot becomes stuck or trapped due to unaccounted dynamic obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system is segmented into multiple levels: high-level waypoints for overall route guidance and intermediate waypoints for real-time obstacle avoidance. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplicity while incorporating detailed real-time navigation data to avoid dynamic obstacles.
Solution Approach 2:
Intermediate waypoints act as intermediaries between the high-level map data and the robot's actual path. These waypoints are generated in real-time based on sensor data and serve as mediation points that guide the robot around dynamic obstacles while maintaining the overall navigation goal.
2Reliability
If real-time image data processing is added to generate intermediate waypoints, then navigation reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments navigation into high-level planning (using pre-existing map data) and intermediate planning (using real-time sensor data). This segmentation allows real-time processing to be focused only on generating intermediate waypoints rather than complete path planning, reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial real-time processing by generating only the necessary intermediate waypoints rather than completely re-planning the entire navigation path. This partial action approach maintains reliability improvements while limiting the increase in computational complexity.
3Reliability
If intermediate waypoints are generated in real-time, then the robot can avoid dynamic obstacles, but loss of time occurs in processing and generating waypoints
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary processing by pre-processing sensor data to identify potential obstacle zones before generating intermediate waypoints. This preliminary action reduces the computational burden during actual waypoint generation, minimizing time loss while maintaining obstacle avoidance capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses efficient algorithms that skip unnecessary computational steps in intermediate waypoint generation. By rushing through the essential calculations and ignoring redundant processing, the system minimizes time loss while still generating accurate intermediate waypoints for obstacle avoidance.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for generating intermediate waypoints for a navigation system of a robot includes receiving a navigation route. The navigation route includes a series of high-level waypoints that begin at a starting location and end at a destination location and is based on high-level navigation data. The high-level navigation data is representative of locations of static obstacles in an area the robot is to navigate. The method also includes receiving image data of an environment about the robot from an image sensor and generating at least one intermediate waypoint based on the image data. The method also includes adding the at least one intermediate waypoint to the series of high-level waypoints of the navigation route and navigating the robot from the starting location along the series of high-level waypoints and the at least one intermediate waypoint toward the destination location.