Solar Panel Cleaning Robot Positioning Using GPS and Image Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solar panel cleaning robots lack real-time positioning capabilities, making it difficult for operators to monitor their working conditions and detect deviations or failures, especially when installed in high and large solar panel systems, leading to inefficient and costly manual cleaning processes.
Innovation Solution
A positioning apparatus for solar panel cleaning robots, equipped with an image capturing unit, frame edge recognizing unit, latitude-and-longitude line recognizing unit, and a global positioning system (GPS), which calculates the vehicle body's coordinate scope on the solar panel, allowing for real-time monitoring and data transmission to a server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual cleaning is used for solar panels, then cleaning can be performed, but labor costs are high and cleaning efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning robot is designed to autonomously clean solar panels without human intervention. It automatically navigates to panels, positions itself, activates cleaning mechanisms, and returns to base station, enabling the system to service itself and eliminating the need for manual labor while maintaining high cleaning efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical cleaning operations with an automated robotic system equipped with sensors, motors, and control algorithms. The robot uses automated positioning, image recognition, and mechanical cleaning mechanisms to substitute human labor, achieving both reduced labor costs and maintained or improved cleaning productivity
2Area of stationary object
If cleaning robots are deployed on high solar panels, then space utilization is improved, but monitoring and detection of robot status becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning robot is equipped with GPS modules, inertial measurement units, and wireless communication devices that continuously transmit position, status, and operational data to a remote monitoring system. This feedback mechanism enables real-time tracking and monitoring of robots deployed on high solar panels, overcoming the difficulty of detection and measurement from ground level
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a three-dimensional positioning system using GPS coordinates and elevation data to track robot locations on vertically mounted solar panels. By adding spatial dimensionality to monitoring (using coordinates rather than visual observation), the system can accurately locate and monitor robots on high panels without requiring physical proximity for detection
3Reliability
If real-time positioning is implemented, then robot monitoring is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system integrates multiple functions into a single unified platform: GPS location tracking, inertial navigation, wireless communication, and data processing are combined in one system. This multi-functional approach achieves reliable real-time monitoring while minimizing overall device complexity by avoiding separate dedicated systems for each function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses wireless communication modules and cloud-based processing as intermediaries between the robot's sensors and the monitoring system. Rather than requiring complex direct communication protocols or onboard processing, the intermediary layer handles data transmission and analysis, simplifying the robot's onboard electronics while maintaining reliable real-time positioning and monitoring capabilities
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a positioning device for a solar panel cleaning robot (100) and a positioning method thereof. The positioning device is used to obtain a real-time position of a vehicle body (10) on a solar panel (200). The positioning device comprises an image acquisition unit (11), a border recognition unit (12), a latitude and longitude recognition unit (13), a vehicle body position calculation unit (14), an image acquisition unit position calculation unit (15), a vehicle body center point position calculation unit (16), a GPS unit (17), a panel determination unit (18), a wireless communication unit (19) and a memory (20).