Service Robot Fleet Coordination for Secure Indoor Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robotic systems lack efficient management and coordination for service robots in complex environments like casinos, leading to inefficiencies in task execution and navigation.
Innovation Solution
A robot management system that includes a server configured to manage a fleet of service robots, enabling centralized task scheduling, navigation, and authentication, using indoor positioning systems and on-board sensors for autonomous or semi-autonomous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a centralized robot management system is implemented to coordinate multiple service robots, then task execution efficiency and navigation precision are improved, but system complexity and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A centralized robot management system serves as an intermediary between multiple service robots and the venue operations. The system receives service requests, assigns tasks to appropriate robots, monitors their status, and coordinates their movements to avoid conflicts. This mediator approach enables efficient multi-robot coordination without requiring complex peer-to-peer communication protocols between individual robots.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot management system performs multiple functions including task assignment, navigation guidance, authentication verification, and fleet coordination. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single universal system, the patent avoids the need for separate specialized systems for each function, thereby managing overall system complexity while maintaining high productivity.
2Reliability
If autonomous navigation and authentication capabilities are integrated into service robots, then service quality and security are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines autonomous navigation systems, authentication modules, and service execution capabilities into integrated service robots. Rather than using separate systems for navigation and authentication, the robot's control system merges these functions, allowing a single device to perform multiple tasks reliably without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The service robots possess autonomous navigation capabilities that allow them to independently determine their location using indoor positioning systems, plan routes to destinations, and execute movements without constant human guidance. This self-service navigation reduces the need for manual control infrastructure while improving service reliability.
3Measurement precision
If indoor positioning systems and authentication credentials are used for precise robot navigation and recipient verification, then delivery accuracy and security are improved, but information processing requirements and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual identification methods with electronic authentication credentials such as RFID cards, mobile device codes, or biometric verification. This substitution enables automated verification by the robot's processor, improving delivery accuracy and security while efficiently handling information processing through digital rather than manual methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A delivery robot includes a propulsion system, a storage area arranged to contain at least one item for delivery, a wireless interface, a memory device, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive, from a robot management system (RMS) and via the wireless interface, a delivery request, wherein the delivery request identifies at least the item contained within the storage area, a delivery location, and a recipient. The processor is also configured to control the propulsion system to navigate the delivery robot to the delivery location in response to receiving the delivery request, receive an authentication credential from the recipient, authenticate the recipient based upon the authentication credential, and in response to authenticating the recipient, control the storage area to provide the at least one item contained within the storage area to the recipient.