State-Variable Anchor for Mobile Robot Payload Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile robots face challenges in securely anchoring and retrieving IoT devices in remote or inaccessible locations without continuous power usage, as existing solutions require ongoing energy to maintain attachment and detachment, which is inefficient and poses risks of device damage or displacement.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a state-variable anchor system that energizes into a released state for attachment and de-energizes for a secure, power-independent anchored state, allowing mobile robots to attach and detach payloads efficiently without continuous power consumption, using various anchor types such as magnet-based, hook-and-loop, melting-adhesive, shape memory polymer, and suction-based anchors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous power is used to maintain attachment, then the payload remains securely anchored, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor system uses periodic or intermittent power application rather than continuous power. Power is applied only during the brief moments needed to transition the anchor between anchored and released states, rather than continuously maintaining the anchored state. This resolves the contradiction by achieving secure attachment (reliability) while minimizing energy consumption through periodic rather than continuous power usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The state-variable anchor is designed to maintain its anchored state passively without requiring continuous power input. Once anchored, the system serves itself by maintaining attachment through its physical or magnetic properties without active power consumption. Power is only required for state transitions, not for maintaining the anchored state, thus achieving both secure attachment and low energy consumption.
2Ease of operation
If state-variable anchor is energized for release, then payload can be detached, but energy is consumed during detachment
Solution Approach 1:
Energy is consumed only periodically during the brief moment of detachment when the anchor needs to transition from anchored to released state. The system does not continuously consume energy to maintain the detached state, nor does it consume energy while anchored. This periodic energy application provides easy detachment capability while minimizing overall energy loss.
3Reliability
If secure anchoring is implemented for remote devices, then devices are protected from displacement, but retrieval becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor system transitions between two dynamic states: anchored and released. The state-variable anchor can be dynamically controlled to provide strong, secure attachment when needed for stability, and can be easily released when retrieval is required. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction by making the anchor both securely stable during operation and easily retrievable when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor system changes its attachment parameter (from anchored to released state) based on operational requirements. By controlling the state-variable anchor's attachment parameter, the system achieves both secure anchoring for stability and easy retrieval when the parameter is changed, resolving the contradiction between device stability and retrieval ease.
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 secure, power-efficient attachment and detachment of payloads to and from mobile robots, ensuring IoT devices remain anchored indefinitely without power usage, facilitating easy retrieval and maintenance while minimizing energy expenditure and ensuring device safety.
Implementation Method 1
shape memory polymer anchors that attach and detach upon command
Implementation Method 2
magnet-based anchors that attach and detach upon command
Implementation Method 3
suction-based anchors that attach and detach upon command
Implementation Method 4
melting-adhesive-based anchors that attach and detach upon command
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a mobile robot energizes its state-variable anchor into a released state while contacting a payload, and then de-energizes it to put it into an anchored state, attaching it to the payload. The mobile robot may then move the payload to a mounting location while the state-variable anchor is de-energized and attached to the payload. As such, the mobile robot may then energize a state-variable anchor of the payload to put it into a released state while at and contacting the mounting location, and then de-energizes it to put it into an anchored state to attach the payload to the mounting location. To then detach the state-variable anchor of the mobile robot and the mobile robot from the payload after the payload is attached to the mounting location, the mobile robot may then energize the state-variable anchor of the mobile robot to put it into a released state.