Swarm Robot Area Assignment for Overlap-Free Patrol Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing swarm robot systems face inefficiencies in patrol and surveillance due to overlapping assigned areas, which hinder effective task performance.
Innovation Solution
A swarm robot control apparatus and method that designates non-overlapping areas using Voronoi diagrams and selects start moving points based on distance and overlap considerations, ensuring each robot has a unique and efficient path within its assigned area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If swarm robots patrol and surveillance areas without area assignment, then robots can freely move and perform tasks, but area overlaps occur between robots causing inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the surveillance area into multiple non-overlapping sub-areas using Voronoi diagrams, where each sub-area is assigned to a specific robot. This segmentation prevents area overlaps between robots while maintaining systematic coverage, directly resolving the contradiction between patrol efficiency and area assignment complexity.
2Productivity
If robots are assigned fixed patrol areas, then area overlaps are prevented, but robots cannot adapt to dynamic situations requiring flexible movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic area reassignment based on robot locations. When robots move to new positions, the Voronoi diagram is recalculated to generate updated non-overlapping area assignments. This dynamic adjustment maintains both patrol efficiency through systematic coverage and adaptability through real-time reassignment.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple robots are deployed for surveillance, then coverage area increases, but area overlaps between robots cause redundant work and inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses Voronoi diagrams to automatically segment the surveillance area into non-overlapping sub-areas, with each sub-area assigned to one robot. This ensures that as more robots are deployed, the coverage area expands without creating redundant overlaps, directly improving surveillance efficiency while maintaining complete coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A swarm robot control apparatus and method according to various aspects of the present disclosure can improve the patrol and surveillance efficiency of swarm robots. The swarm robot control apparatus includes: an area designation unit that designates assigned areas for a plurality of robots based on respective current locations of the plurality of robots including a first robot; a start point selection unit that selects one of a plurality of moving points defined by a first assigned area as a start moving point for the first robot, based on information on distances between the first robot and a plurality of moving points of the assigned area defined for the first robot and information on whether there is an overlap between the first robot and other robots at the moving points of the first assigned area; and a robot controller that moves the first robot to the start moving point selected by the start point selection unit.