Stowable Handle Assembly for Autonomous Mower Boundary Training
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous lawn mowers face challenges with the time-consuming installation of boundary wires and potential damage, as well as the need for additional manual tools to access inaccessible areas, limiting their operational efficiency and effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The development of stowable handles that allow for manual mode operation and onboard storage, enabling the mower to transition between autonomous and manual modes, facilitating boundary training and storage, and integrating a handle assembly that telescopically collapses for autonomous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the handle assembly is extended for manual operation, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to stowable mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The handle assembly transitions from a static fixed structure to a dynamic stowable mechanism that can extend and retract. The handle includes telescoping segments that allow it to be extended when manual operation is needed and retracted when autonomous operation is required, enabling the system to adapt its configuration based on operational mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle assembly serves multiple functions: it provides manual control capability when extended for operator guidance and boundary training, and acts as a stowable component when retracted for autonomous operation. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate manual and autonomous control systems.
2Volume of moving object
If the handle assembly is retracted for autonomous operation, then storage efficiency is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates for manual mode
Solution Approach 1:
The handle assembly is designed with telescoping segments that allow dynamic adjustment between extended and retracted positions. When autonomous operation is required, the handle retracts to minimize protrusion and optimize storage space. When manual operation is needed, the handle extends to provide adequate control accessibility.
3Measurement precision
If boundary wire installation is used to define property boundary, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to installation process
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical boundary wire installation with an optical/image processing approach. The imaging sensor captures images of the environment, and image processing algorithms automatically identify and define boundaries, property lines, and obstacles without requiring physical wire installation. This substitution eliminates the time-consuming wire laying process while maintaining boundary definition accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using physical boundary wires, the system creates a digital copy or representation of the boundary through image capture and processing. The imaging sensor records visual information about the environment, and software algorithms process these images to generate accurate boundary definitions, effectively copying the boundary information from the physical world into a digital format.
4Ease of manufacture
If boundary wire is laid on ground surface, then ease of installation is improved, but reliability decreases due to potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the vulnerable mechanical boundary wire with a non-contact optical sensing system. The imaging sensor mounted on the vehicle captures images to identify boundaries, eliminating the need for physical wires that can be damaged. This substitution maintains ease of operation while significantly improving reliability by removing the vulnerable wire component entirely.
Data Source
AI summary
A handle assembly for an autonomous vehicle such as a lawn mower is provided and may include a cradle adapted to receive a mobile computer. The handle assembly may be configured in both an autonomous mode position and a manual mode position. The vehicle may operate autonomously when the handle assembly is in the autonomous mode position, and be adapted to move under manual operator control, e.g., for perimeter training, when the handle assembly is in the manual mode position.