Vision-Guided Obstacle Detection for Autonomous Lawn Mowers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous lawn mowers face challenges in reliable navigation and obstacle avoidance due to interference from underground markers, GPS signal distortions, and the need for continuous updates, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage from physical obstructions.
Innovation Solution
Combining a collision sensor with a vision-based obstacle avoidance system that replicates collision sensor inputs to provide more accurate and responsive signals for the drive and cutting blade systems, allowing for precise navigation and obstacle detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If underground markers are used to mark lawn borders and obstacles, then the autonomous lawn mower can navigate within bounds, but the markers require time-consuming installation, separate power sources, and are vulnerable to interference and physical damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes underground markers and their power sources from the system, extracting the navigation function to the lawn mower itself through onboard sensors and processors that detect boundaries and obstacles without external infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous lawn mower performs self-navigation and self-localization using its own sensors and processing capabilities, eliminating the need for external marker systems and their associated installation and maintenance requirements
2Ease of operation
If GPS-mapped paths are used for navigation, then the lawn mower can follow predetermined routes, but GPS signals suffer from distortions and reflections due to landmarks, walls, and tree canopies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces local sensors and processing systems as intermediaries between the GPS satellite signals and the navigation decision-making, allowing the mower to detect and compensate for signal distortions caused by environmental obstructions
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation system is segmented into multiple independent components including GPS reception, local sensor detection, obstacle identification, and path adjustment, allowing the system to use multiple data sources and maintain navigation capability even when GPS signals are degraded
3Device complexity
If collision sensors alone are used for obstacle detection, then the system is simple, but the lawn mower must keep larger distances from obstacles to avoid collisions, leaving significant portions unmowed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines collision sensors with vision systems, ultrasonic sensors, and other detection technologies into an integrated obstacle detection system that provides both early warning and precise ranging, enabling the mower to approach obstacles closer while maintaining safety
Data Source
AI summary
A control system including a drive system and a blade system; a collision sensor; a main board having a main processor and in communication with the collision sensor, the drive system, and the blade system; the collision sensor, upon sensing a collision, capable of transmitting a collision signal to the main processor; the main board capable of transmitting an adjustment command to the drive system or the blade system; a vision sensor; a vision processor in communication with the vision sensor and the main processor, and capable of determining whether the image data represent an obstacle; the vision sensor capable of transmitting image data to the vision processor; when the vision processor determines the image data represent an obstacle, the vision processor capable of transmitting a collision-replicating signal to the main processor, prompting the main board to transmit the adjustment command to the drive system and/or the blade system.