Smart Mower Boundary-Line Navigation for Narrow-Area Exit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart mowers lack the ability to determine their original walking direction, leading to random collisions in narrow areas and difficulty in exiting such spaces.
Innovation Solution
A smart mowing system that includes a boundary line and a signal transmitting unit generating a magnetic field, with a smart mower equipped with signal receiving modules to induce boundary line induction signals, allowing the control module to determine its location relative to the boundary line and control its movement along or across it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a smart mower uses only obstacle sensing to navigate, then it can detect obstacles, but it cannot determine its original walking direction, leading to random collisions in narrow areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a boundary line as an intermediary element that embeds directional information through magnetic field signals. The boundary line acts as a mediator between the mower's navigation system and the environment, providing the lost direction information without requiring complex modifications to the mower itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The boundary line is pre-configured with magnetic field signals that encode directional information before the mower enters narrow areas. This preliminary setup allows the mower to retrieve direction information on-demand, preventing the information loss problem rather than correcting it after occurrence.
2Ease of operation
If a smart mower operates autonomously without manual control, then labor intensity is reduced, but it experiences difficulty exiting confined areas due to inability to determine original direction
Solution Approach 1:
The boundary line provides continuous feedback to the mower about its position and original direction through magnetic field signals. This feedback mechanism enables the autonomous mower to make informed navigation decisions, particularly when exiting confined areas, without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a magnetic field dimension to the traditional obstacle-based navigation. By embedding directional information in the magnetic field perpendicular to the ground, the system provides an additional information dimension that helps the mower orient itself and exit confined areas efficiently.
3Productivity
If a smart mower relies on thrust from operator to move, then it can perform cutting operations, but the operator experiences very high labor intensity
Solution Approach 1:
The boundary line system provides self-service navigation capabilities to the mower, enabling it to determine its own position and direction without operator input. This automation eliminates the need for operator thrust, completely removing labor intensity while maintaining productivity.
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
Enables the smart mower to navigate along or within predefined boundaries, preventing collisions and efficiently exiting confined areas.
Implementation Method 1
A magnetic field is generated when the boundary signal flows through the boundary line
Implementation Method 2
The first signal receiving module is configured to generate a first boundary line induction signal by inducing a change of the magnetic field generated by the boundary signal
Data Source
AI summary
A smart mowing system includes a boundary line, a signal transmitting unit, and a smart mower. The boundary line is configured to plan a working area. The signal transmitting unit is configured to generate a boundary signal to the boundary line. The smart mower includes a first signal receiving module, a second signal receiving module, and a control module. The second signal receiving module is a preset distance away from the first signal receiving module. The control module is configured to determine whether the first signal receiving module is located inside the boundary line, to determine whether the second signal receiving module is located inside the boundary line, and to control the smart mower to walk along the boundary line when the first signal receiving module or the second signal receiving module is located outside the boundary line.