Robotic Mower Blade Positioning for Boundary Trimming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous lawn mowers often struggle to efficiently cut grass close to obstacles and boundaries due to their cutting blades being positioned too far from the sidewalls, requiring additional manual trimming and increasing the number of passes needed to cover the work area.
Innovation Solution
The lawn mower can automatically switch between two operating modes, adjusting the cutting blade position relative to the sidewall, allowing for closer cutting to obstacles and boundaries in the second mode, which increases cutting efficiency and reduces the need for manual trimming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cutting blades are positioned inboard from the sidewall to minimize contact with foreign objects, then safety and reliability are improved, but the cutting width is reduced and trimming near obstacles becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting blade assembly is made movable relative to the housing, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position between an inboard position (for safety) and an outboard position (for trimming). The system transitions from a static blade position to a dynamic one, enabling the mower to adapt to different operational requirements such as mowing versus trimming modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The position of the cutting blade assembly is changed as a variable parameter. By adjusting the distance of the cutting blades from the sidewall, the system can optimize between safety (greater distance) and cutting efficiency (smaller distance). This parameter change allows the same mower to perform both safe mowing and effective trimming operations.
2Reliability
If the cutting blades are positioned inboard from the sidewall to avoid contact with foreign objects, then reliability is improved, but the number of mower passes required to cover the work region increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable cutting blade assembly enables the mower to dynamically adjust its cutting position to maximize cutting width during each pass. By positioning the blades closer to the sidewall when appropriate, the mower can cover more ground per pass, reducing the total number of passes needed to complete the work region.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the blade-to-sidewall distance parameter to optimize cutting width. By increasing the cutting width through parameter adjustment, the mower reduces the number of passes required, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining safety through controlled operation.
3Productivity
If the cutting blades are positioned closer to the sidewall to increase cutting width, then productivity is improved, but the risk of contact with foreign objects increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting blade assembly is made dynamically adjustable, allowing the operator to position the blades closer to the sidewall only when needed for trimming operations. During normal mowing, the blades remain in the safer inboard position. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to achieve high productivity when necessary while maintaining safety during routine operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade position parameter is changed based on operational requirements. The system allows the cutting width parameter to be increased by moving blades closer to the sidewall, but only when the operational context (such as trimming mode) justifies the increased risk. This conditional parameter change balances productivity gains with safety considerations.
4Ease of operation
If the cutting blades are positioned closer to the sidewall to enable trimming near obstacles, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of contact with foreign objects increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable cutting blade assembly provides the ease of operation needed for trimming by allowing the blades to be positioned close to the sidewall and obstacles. The system becomes adaptable to different operational modes, making trimming near boundaries and obstacles straightforward while maintaining safety through controlled, mode-specific operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade position parameter is adjusted to enable effective trimming operations. By changing the distance parameter between the cutting blades and sidewall, the system achieves the ease of operation required for trimming while managing safety risks through appropriate mode selection and operator control.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, systems, and methods for operating an autonomous vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle is embodied as a mower having a downwardly extending sidewall and a cutting blade assembly. The cutting blade assembly is adapted to cut grass along a path defining a proximal cut edge located at a first distance from the sidewall when the mower is configured in a first operating mode, and at a second distance from the sidewall when the mower is configured in a second operating mode. The mower is adapted to automatically switch from the first operating mode to the second operating mode when an electronic controller associated with the mower determines a local area of operation of the mower is free of unknown objects.