Simulated Work Zone Boundaries for Balanced Autonomous Machine Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies for autonomously navigating work machines, such as lawn mowers, often fail to efficiently divide work areas into multiple zones, leading to uneven workloads and increased operational time due to complex boundary shapes and unserviced regions.
Innovation Solution
A work zone boundary demarcation apparatus equipped with a computer and simulation program that demarcates boundaries to divide the work area into multiple zones, minimizing intersections and narrow paths, and re-demonstrates boundaries based on simulation results to equalize workloads and reduce operational time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the work area is divided into multiple zones with complex boundaries, then the workload distribution can be optimized, but the number of intersections and narrow paths increases, leading to longer operational time
Solution Approach 1:
The work area is divided into multiple zones using boundary lines that segment the overall area. This segmentation allows different work machines to operate in separate zones, improving workload distribution efficiency while the system optimizes boundary design to minimize negative effects
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of boundary design by minimizing intersections and narrow paths in the boundary lines. This parameter optimization reduces the operational time penalty that would otherwise result from the necessary zone segmentation
2Loss of time
If boundary lines are designed to minimize intersections and narrow paths, then operational time is reduced, but workload distribution may become uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses simulation results as feedback to evaluate and optimize boundary designs. By simulating work machine operations with proposed boundaries, the system can assess both operational time and workload distribution, then adjust boundary parameters to achieve optimal balance between these competing objectives
3Productivity
If the work area is divided into multiple zones, then work efficiency is improved through better workload distribution, but the complexity of boundary demarcation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically generating and optimizing boundary demarcations through simulation and evaluation. Rather than requiring manual boundary design, the system autonomously determines optimal zone divisions and boundary configurations, improving work efficiency while managing demarcation complexity through automation
Data Source
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AI summary
A work zone boundary demarcation apparatus (1) to demarcate boundaries (74) that divide a work area (AR) to be serviced by at least one autonomously navigating work machine (10) into multiple zones (ARn), equipped with a computer (2) having at least a processor (2a), a memory (2b), an input-output circuit (2c) and a simulation program (2b1) loaded in the memory to simulate work of the work machine (10) in the work area; wherein the processor (2a) is configured to perform as a boundary demarcation unit (2a1) that demarcates boundaries which divide the work area into multiple zones, a simulation execution unit (2a2) that executes simulation of work of the work machine in the multiple zones divided by the boundaries demarcated by the boundary demarcation unit, a boundary re-demarcation unit (2a3) that re-demarcates boundaries demarcated by the boundary demarcation unit based on results of the simulation executed by the simulation execution unit, and a zone display unit (2a4) that displays the multiple zones divided by the boundaries re-demarcated by the boundary re-demarcation unit.