Surveying Instrument Relocation Using Target Tracking and SLAM
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surveying instruments require a manual and tedious process to correlate measured points across different setup locations, necessitating skilled labor to determine the relative pose of the instrument, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A surveying instrument with a base unit, rotatable support and targeting units, angle encoders, and a control unit that uses actuators and sensors to automatically detect and track target points, enabling semi-automatic relocation and precise determination of the relative pose between setup locations through image-based tracking and Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual correlation of measured points is used to determine relative pose between setup locations, then measurement precision can be maintained, but the surveying process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of correlating measured points with an automated optical-electronic system. The tracking unit detects target points and the control unit automatically calculates relative pose transformations, substituting human manual operations with automated detection and computation systems that maintain precision while dramatically reducing time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The surveying instrument performs self-correlation of measured points through its own tracking and calculation capabilities. The control unit automatically processes the detected target point coordinates and computes the relative pose between setup locations without requiring external manual intervention, enabling the system to serve itself in the correlation task.
2Device complexity
If manual correlation of measured points is used to determine relative pose, then system complexity remains low, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to skill requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual correlation procedures with automated optical-electronic tracking and computational processing. The tracking unit and control unit work together to automatically identify and correlate target points, eliminating the need for operator skill in manual point matching while keeping the physical device structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking unit serves as an intermediary between the manual setup process and the automated calculation process. It detects target points and provides coordinate data to the control unit, which then performs the correlation calculations, acting as a mediator that simplifies the operator's task while maintaining system functionality.
3Productivity
If automated tracking and actuator control are implemented, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit serves multiple functions: it controls the actuators for positioning, processes tracking data from the tracking unit, calculates relative pose transformations, and manages the overall surveying workflow. This multi-functionality consolidates what could be separate complex components into a single integrated unit, improving productivity while limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the tracking unit, actuators, and control functions into an integrated system. The control unit coordinates all moving parts and processes all measurement data centrally, combining multiple functions that could operate independently into a unified system that improves productivity without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A surveying instrument for executing a relocation functionality, which determines first coordinates of a stationary target point associated with the start signal, in response to a start signal, a first actuator and a second actuator are controlled such that the stationary target point remains within a detection area of a tracking unit of the surveying instrument, determines second coordinates of the stationary target point, receives an end signal, wherein the second coordinates of the stationary target point are associated with the end signal, and based at least in part on the first and second coordinates of the stationary target point, and determines a relative pose of the surveying instrument with respect to a first setup location and a second setup location, wherein the first setup location is associated with the first coordinates and the second setup location is associated with the second coordinate.