Robotic Lawn Mower Relay Communication for Coordinated Group Mowing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic lawn mowers lack effective communication capabilities to operate efficiently in groups, limiting their mowing capacity and requiring human intervention.
Innovation Solution
A hierarchical communication schema where a base station communicates with a principal robotic lawn mower, which then relays instructions to secondary mowers, allowing for coordinated operation and delegation of responsibilities without human intervention, using a shared design for both principal and secondary mowers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a plurality of robotic lawn mowers operates independently without communication, then each mower can function autonomously, but the overall mowing capacity and coordination are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a base station as an intermediary device that mediates communication between multiple robotic lawn mowers. The base station receives commands and distributes them to individual mowers, enabling coordinated operation without requiring direct peer-to-peer communication between mowers. This intermediary approach increases productivity by allowing multiple mowers to work together while managing communication complexity centrally at the base station.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system is segmented into hierarchical levels: the base station operates at the control level, while individual robotic mowers operate at the execution level. This segmentation allows the system to scale by adding more mowers without proportionally increasing overall system complexity, as each mower communicates independently with the base station rather than requiring full mesh communication between all mowers.
2Extent of automation
If robotic lawn mowers operate in a group without effective communication, then human intervention can coordinate operations, but time and cost associated with manual operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic lawn mowers are equipped with autonomous navigation and mowing capabilities, allowing them to perform tasks independently without continuous human guidance. The base station provides automated command distribution and coordination, eliminating the need for human operators to physically guide each mower. This self-service capability significantly reduces the time and labor required for coordinated multi-mower operations while maintaining high automation levels.
3Ease of operation
If a hierarchical communication schema is implemented among robotic lawn mowers, then task delegation and coordination improve, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hierarchical communication schema is implemented dynamically, with the base station adapting command distribution based on real-time mower availability, battery status, and work area conditions. This dynamic approach allows efficient task delegation without requiring complex static communication protocols, as the system adjusts its communication patterns based on operational needs rather than maintaining fixed complex routing structures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A mowing system including a base station (112A, 112) disposed at a work area (120); and a plurality of robotic lawn mowers (100A) disposed at the work area (120), the plurality of robotic lawn mowers (100A) including a first robotic lawn mower (100) and a second robotic lawn mower (100), wherein the base station (112A, 112) is configured to communicate with the second robotic lawn mower (100) through the first robotic lawn mower (100).