Structured Light Visual Navigation for Robots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current visual navigation systems for robots face challenges such as failure in low illumination, time-consuming obstacle detection and path determination, low precision at far distances, repeated wandering paths, and the need for additional system construction, which affects efficiency and reliability in indoor service robots.
Innovation Solution
A visual navigation system using structured light, comprising a projector to generate a specific path pattern and an image capture device to detect obstacles, allowing the visual server to route a virtual path for the robot to follow, thereby improving navigation accuracy and reducing operational burden.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional visual navigation systems are used to capture and process environment images, then the robot can obtain environment information, but the navigation efficiency is reduced due to time-consuming image processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the navigation function into two parts: (1) the projector emits structured light to create a path pattern, and (2) the image capture device captures this pattern for position identification. This segmentation allows the robot to navigate without complex environmental feature processing, significantly improving navigation efficiency while maintaining accurate position information.
2Reliability
If conventional visual sensors are used to detect obstacles and determine paths, then the robot can navigate, but the operation time and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by projecting a structured light path pattern into the environment before the robot begins navigation. This pre-established visual guide allows the robot to simply follow the projected path without real-time obstacle detection and path recalculation, dramatically reducing operation time and power consumption while maintaining reliable navigation.
3Measurement precision
If feature object recognition methods are used for navigation, then the robot can identify position, but the system complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of recognizing complex environmental features, the system creates a simplified copy of the navigation path by projecting structured light patterns that directly encode position information. The image capture device only needs to detect this projected pattern rather than analyze complex environmental features, reducing system complexity and power consumption while maintaining precise position identification.
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
The system enables robots to navigate accurately and efficiently in low-light environments, reduces operation time and power consumption, and eliminates the need for additional system construction, enhancing the reliability and precision of robot navigation.
Implementation Method 1
at least one projector for generating a specific path pattern formed by structured light
Implementation Method 2
an image capture device for capturing an image in the space
Data Source
AI summary
A visual navigation system and method based on structured light are provided. The visual navigation system at least includes at least one projector for generating a specific path pattern formed by structured light, and a visual server. In addition to facilitating the visual navigation system to detect an obstacle, the pattern formed by the structured light provides a specific path pattern followed by robots during the navigation. In the visual navigation method, when detecting the obstacle, the visual server routes a virtual path and issues a movement-control command to the robots, which in turn follow the virtual path. The present invention is capable of raising the accuracy for the robot navigation and reducing operation burden of the visual server by using the structured light to guide the robots.