Robotic Lawnmower Monitoring via Mobile Beacon and Path Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous robotic lawnmowers lack efficient user interfaces for monitoring and controlling their operations, including beacon placement, grass height adjustment, and path teaching, which can lead to suboptimal performance and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A user device, such as a smartphone or tablet, provides a user interface to present lawn shapes, recommend beacon locations, display beacon quantities, allow grass height selection, and teach paths to the autonomous robotic lawnmower, enabling users to monitor and control its operations effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If autonomous robotic lawnmowers operate without a user interface for monitoring and control, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates as users cannot monitor or control beacon placement, grass height adjustment, and path teaching
Solution Approach 1:
A mobile device serves as an intermediary between the user and the autonomous robotic lawnmower, providing a user interface that enables users to monitor operations (beacon detection, grass height, path status) and control functions (beacon placement, grass height adjustment, path teaching) without adding complexity to the lawnmower itself. The mobile device acts as a mediator that handles all user interaction while the lawnmower maintains its autonomous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into two independent components: the autonomous robotic lawnmower that performs mowing operations, and the mobile device that provides user interface functionality. This segmentation allows the lawnmower to remain simple and focused on its core function while the mobile device handles all user interaction, monitoring, and control tasks.
2Measurement precision
If beacon placement is not optimized, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision deteriorates as the robotic lawnmower cannot accurately detect its location and navigate the lawn
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having the mobile device calculate and present optimal beacon locations to the user before actual beacon placement. The user can review the recommended locations and make adjustments before implementing the beacon configuration, ensuring optimal placement for accurate detection and navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device provides feedback to the user about beacon detection status and quality, allowing users to verify that beacons are properly placed and detected. This feedback mechanism enables users to adjust beacon locations if detection is insufficient, improving measurement precision without requiring complex automated beacon placement systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If grass height is not user-adjustable, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability deteriorates as users cannot control the cutting height to match different lawn conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The grass height setting is made dynamic and adjustable through the mobile device interface. Users can change the grass height parameter based on different lawn conditions, mowing preferences, and seasonal requirements. The system allows flexible adjustment without requiring complex mechanical height adjustment mechanisms in the lawnmower itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables parameter changes by allowing users to modify the grass height cutting parameter through the mobile device. This simple parameter adjustment provides adaptability to different lawn conditions without adding mechanical complexity to the lawnmower's cutting mechanism.
4Productivity
If path teaching is not provided, then the device complexity is reduced, but the productivity deteriorates as the robotic lawnmower cannot efficiently navigate back to the docking station for charging
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary path teaching where the user guides the lawnmower along the desired path to the docking station before autonomous operation begins. This pre-taught path enables efficient navigation during charging cycles without requiring complex real-time path planning algorithms during operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A user device, such as a smartphone or a tablet computer, can provide a user with information pertaining to operations of an autonomous robotic lawnmower to assist the user with monitoring the operations of the robotic lawnmower and with setting up the autonomous robotic lawnmower. For example, the user device can present example lawn shapes and recommended locations of beacons suitable for these lawn shapes, can indicate the quantity of beacons detected by the autonomous robotic lawnmower, can be used to establish a region on a lawn where the autonomous robotic lawnmower performs a particular behavior, can be used to select a grass height that the autonomous robotic lawnmower cuts the lawn, and can be taught a particular path to take when returning to a docking station to charge the autonomous robotic lawnmower.