Warehouse Robot Positioning Between Shelves Without Floor QR Codes
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Solution Overview
Problem
In intelligent warehouse systems, the dense placement of goods boxes increases the difficulty and cost of deploying and maintaining QR codes for robot positioning, leading to identification errors and reduced efficiency in goods transportation, especially when multiple robots move between shelves.
Innovation Solution
A robot with an identifying component that detects positioning reference objects on both sides to obtain distance information, determining middle position information and motion control parameters to enable precise movement between these objects, thereby reducing the need for QR codes and improving transportation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If QR codes are deployed on the floor for robot positioning, then robots can be positioned in the storage space, but the deployment and maintenance cost increases and identification errors occur when goods boxes are densely placed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the positioning function from QR codes deployed on the floor and relocates it to positioning reference objects placed on shelves. This removes the need for extensive floor QR code deployment and maintenance, while preserving the positioning capability through a simpler system that only requires positioning reference objects at shelf locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces positioning reference objects as intermediary elements between the robot and the shelves. These objects serve as mediators that the robot can identify and use for positioning, replacing the direct QR code-to-floor relationship with a new intermediary-based positioning mechanism that reduces deployment complexity.
2Productivity
If multiple robots move between shelves, then goods transportation efficiency improves, but interference between robots occurs due to QR code positioning limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the identifying component continuously detects positioning reference objects and provides real-time positioning information to the robot processor. This feedback loop enables multiple robots to independently determine their positions and adjust their movements accordingly, preventing interference and improving coordination reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Each robot is equipped with its own identifying component and processor that independently perform positioning operations. The robots serve themselves by autonomously detecting positioning reference objects and calculating their own positions without relying on a centralized positioning system, enabling independent and coordinated operation of multiple robots.
3Measurement precision
If identifying cameras scan QR codes during robot motion, then positioning information is obtained, but the identification accuracy decreases when goods boxes are densely placed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the positioning function from floor QR codes and relocates it to positioning reference objects on shelves. This removes the interference problem caused by densely placed goods boxes covering or obscuring floor QR codes, as the new positioning reference objects are positioned on shelves where they remain accessible and visible to the identifying component.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes: an identifying component, configured to, when detecting positioning reference objects on both sides of the robot during movement of the robot, obtain distance information between the identifying component and the positioning reference object on each side, respectively, and send the distance information to the robot processor, a positioning component, configured to obtain first location information when the identifying component identifies the positioning reference objects, and send the first location information to the robot processor; and a robot processor, configured to determine middle position information between the positioning reference objects based on the distance information to the positioning reference object on each side and the first location information; determine a motion control parameter based on the middle position information and the first location information; and control, based on the motion control parameter, the robot to move along a middle position between the positioning reference objects.