Tele-Operated Robot Navigation Using UAV Top-View Obstacle Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tele-operated robots for outdoor property maintenance, such as lawn care and landscaping, face challenges in navigating complex environments and efficiently utilizing human oversight to handle unforeseen situations, leading to inefficiencies and increased labor costs.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a tele-operated robot, a control center, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that collaboratively navigate and operate to minimize labor hours and total time spent on property maintenance by classifying navigable and non-navigable areas, estimating alternate paths, and deploying human oversight when necessary, using sensors and aerial imagery for obstacle avoidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If tele-operated robots are used for outdoor property maintenance, then labor hours and total time can be minimized, but the robots face challenges in navigating complex environments and handling unforeseen situations
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the property into navigable and non-navigable areas using aerial imagery, allowing the robot to autonomously operate in suitable zones while human operators handle complex areas, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity improvement and navigation capability limitations
Solution Approach 2:
Aerial imagery serves as an intermediary that provides the robot with advance knowledge of the environment, enabling it to plan paths and avoid obstacles autonomously, thus improving navigation capability without sacrificing productivity
2Productivity
If the robot autonomously navigates without human oversight, then operational efficiency increases, but the robot cannot effectively handle unforeseen situations
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial automation where the robot autonomously handles routine navigation and maintenance tasks to maximize operational efficiency, while human operators provide oversight specifically for unforeseen situations, achieving both productivity and reliability goals
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from sensors and aerial imagery to continuously monitor the environment, enabling the robot to detect unforeseen situations and switch from autonomous to tele-operated mode, thus maintaining reliability without compromising operational efficiency
3Ease of operation
If the robot follows a fixed operating path, then navigation simplicity increases, but the robot cannot avoid obstacles effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The operating path is made dynamic rather than fixed, allowing the robot to autonomously adjust its trajectory based on real-time obstacle detection while maintaining simple navigation logic, thus resolving the contradiction between navigation simplicity and obstacle avoidance capability
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes an optical marker disposed to be visible in a top-view image of the robot, a receiver configured to receive a top-down image of an area of interest surrounding the robot within a property, and a processor configured to distinguish the robot from structural features on the property based on an image of the optical marker. A position and an orientation of the robot and the structural features relative to the property is determined based on the top-down image. Among the structural features, a subset of features classified as obstacles inhibiting an operation of the robot as the robot moves within the area of interest is determined. An operating path for the robot within the area of interest so as to avoid the obstacles is then determined.