Robotic Spill Detection Using Thermal Imaging and Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting spills in environments like stores and warehouses are inefficient and often fail to promptly identify spills, leading to potential injuries and property damage due to reliance on human inspection, which can be slow and error-prone.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system equipped with an optical imaging device, such as an infrared camera, and sensors that can detect spills as it moves, using thermal imaging and other properties to identify spills and generate alerts, and optionally adjust the temperature of the scene to enhance visibility, allowing for automatic detection and response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human inspection is used to detect spills, then the system is simple and inexpensive, but the detection speed is slow and detection reliability is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual human inspection with an automated robotic system equipped with optical imaging devices (cameras) and sensors. The robot autonomously navigates through the environment, captures images and sensor data, and processes this information to detect spills, thereby eliminating the need for continuous human monitoring while improving detection reliability and speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system performs self-inspection and self-detection of spills without requiring human intervention. The robot independently navigates, captures data, processes images, identifies spills through algorithmic analysis, and generates alerts, making the detection system self-sufficient and autonomous.
2Speed
If human inspection is used to detect spills, then the system is simple to implement, but the detection time is delayed and response is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system continuously navigates through the environment, continuously capturing images and sensor data without interruption. This continuous monitoring ensures that spills are detected immediately upon occurrence rather than during periodic human inspections, eliminating detection delays and enabling real-time response.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated robot replaces slow human inspection with rapid automated image capture and processing. The system quickly moves through the environment, captures multiple images per second, and processes them in real-time, dramatically increasing detection speed compared to manual inspection methods.
3Measurement precision
If thermal imaging is used to detect spills, then detection accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple detection methods including optical imaging (visible light cameras), thermal imaging (infrared cameras), and various sensors (capacitive, resistive, inductive) into a single integrated system. This multi-sensory approach allows the robot to use the most energy-efficient method for each detection scenario while maintaining high accuracy through data fusion from multiple sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts detection parameters such as camera activation, thermal imaging frequency, and sensor sensitivity based on environmental conditions and robot state. This adaptive parameter adjustment optimizes energy consumption by activating high-power components only when necessary while maintaining detection accuracy through intelligent resource management.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables early and accurate detection of spills, reducing the risk of injuries and property damage by automating the spill detection process and allowing for immediate action, while also reducing false positives and negatives.
Implementation Method 1
an optical imaging device configured to capture at least one image of a scene containing a spill while the robot moves between locations
Implementation Method 2
the optical imaging device is an infrared camera and the at least one image is a thermal image
Implementation Method 3
the robot further includes a temperature adjuster configured to change the temperature of the scene containing the spill
Implementation Method 4
the temperature adjuster is at least one of an exhaust and a fan
Implementation Method 5
the robot further comprises a sensor configured to detect at least one of reflectance properties, emission properties, electrical properties, noises, and friction of the scene
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for automatic detection of spills are disclosed. In some exemplary implementations, a robot can have a spill detector comprising at least one optical imaging device configured to capture at least one image of a scene containing a spill while the robot moves between locations. The robot can process the at least one image by segmentation. Once the spill has been identified, the robot can then generate an alert indicative at least in part of a recognition of the spill.