Robotic Lawn Mower Virtual Boundary Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robotic lawn mowers require inefficient boundary cables, are tedious and expensive to install, and lack flexibility in adapting to changes in mowing areas, especially with multiple lawn islands and safety concerns from wires.
Innovation Solution
A method using an overhead image and graphical user interface to define boundaries and subregions, assigning control attributes for cutting and no-cutting areas, and automatically adjusting routes to minimize energy consumption and user intervention, with sensors for real-time adjustments and optimal deployment of mowers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If boundary cables are installed to define the perimeter of the plot, then the robot mower can operate within defined boundaries, but the cables consume energy constantly and are tedious and expensive to install
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the boundary cables from the system entirely, replacing them with a virtual boundary system. The robot mower uses sensors and onboard processing to define and respect boundaries without physical cable infrastructure, eliminating the energy consumption and installation complexity associated with cables while maintaining reliable boundary definition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical cable-based boundary system with an electronic/software-based virtual boundary system. The robot uses computational methods, sensor data, and algorithmic processing to establish and maintain boundaries, substituting physical infrastructure with intelligent software control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If boundary cables are installed to accommodate existing plot features, then the robot can avoid not-for-cutting regions, but re-wiring is required when new features are added to the plot
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual boundary system is dynamic and can be easily modified through software updates rather than physical re-wiring. When new features are added to the plot, the user can simply update the digital map or boundary definitions through the control interface, allowing the system to adapt to changing landscape features without complex installation work.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual boundary system serves multiple functions: it defines plot perimeters, identifies not-for-cutting regions, and adapts to new features. A single software-based system replaces the need for separate cable installations for different plot configurations, providing universal adaptability across various lawn layouts and features.
3Reliability
If boundary cables are installed to define the mowing perimeter, then the robot can operate safely within the plot, but the cables create safety issues for people using the plot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the physical cables that create safety hazards from the system. By using a virtual boundary system with sensors and software control, the robot maintains operational safety without deploying tripping or entanglement hazards into the environment where people use the plot.
4Measurement precision
If users control the robot mower to move around the perimeter to define the virtual boundary, then the robot can identify excluded areas, but the process is time consuming and inefficient especially for large areas
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary boundary identification automatically using sensor data and onboard processing before the user needs to define the boundary manually. The robot can quickly scan and map the plot area, pre-identifying boundaries and features, which significantly reduces the time users would otherwise spend controlling the robot through the entire perimeter.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot mower performs self-service boundary identification using its own sensors, processors, and algorithms to automatically map the plot and identify boundaries without requiring continuous user control. This autonomous boundary detection capability eliminates the time-consuming manual guidance process while maintaining accurate boundary identification.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of controlling a robotic lawn mower begins with obtaining (102) an overhead image of a plot of land. A boundary of the plot of land is defined (104) using a graphical user interface. One or more mower-safe subregions and danger zones are defined (106, 108) within the boundary using the graphical user interface. Control attributes are assigned (110) to mower-safe subregions. A control attribute may comprise a no-cutting attribute or a cutting attribute (e.g. cutting height, time, frequency or pattern) assigned portions of the subregion. A no-cutting attribute is typically assigned automatically to a portion of a subregion by the robotic mower, for example using a machine learning algorithm to detect an absence of grass on a driveway. The mower is controlled (112) to traverse the plot of land while its operation in a subregion is based on (a) the location of the mower in relation to the plot of land, (b) the defined boundary and one or more subregions and (c) the assigned control attribute.