Wearable AR Navigation for Warehouse Object Retrieval
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In large warehouse and retail facilities, workers face challenges in efficiently locating and retrieving objects due to vast spaces, seasonal employee turnover, and the placement of objects in varying locations, leading to delays and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A user-wearable system, including a head-worn component with image sensors, pose determination subsystems, and a control system, that collects environmental data and provides navigation and object retrieval information through augmented reality displays and audio cues, utilizing a modular design with components like image sensors, microphones, and machine-readable symbol readers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If workers manually search for objects in vast warehouse facilities, then they can retrieve objects, but retrieval time increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a wearable system with augmented reality display as an intermediary between the warehouse management system and the worker. The system receives object location data from a central system and displays navigation cues (arrows, highlights) directly in the worker's field of view, guiding them to objects without manual searching. This intermediary processing and presentation layer significantly reduces retrieval time while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and displaying navigation paths to objects before the worker arrives. The augmented reality display shows directional cues and location markers in advance, allowing workers to immediately head toward target objects without delay. This preliminary guidance preparation eliminates wandering and inefficient search patterns.
2Measurement precision
If the wearable system includes multiple subsystems (image sensors, pose determination, display), then navigation accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable system integrates multiple functions into a single unified device. The head-worn component simultaneously houses image sensors for environmental mapping, pose determination subsystems for tracking user orientation, augmented reality display for navigation presentation, and communication interfaces for receiving object location data. This multi-functional integration achieves high measurement precision while managing device complexity through consolidation rather than separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges previously separate systems (image recognition, inertial sensing, display, and communication) into an integrated wearable platform. The control system coordinates all subsystems to work together seamlessly, combining their capabilities to achieve accurate navigation guidance. This merging approach reduces the number of separate devices the worker must carry and manage.
3Productivity
If the system provides real-time navigation cues through augmented reality display, then worker efficiency improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The augmented reality display and navigation cues are updated periodically rather than continuously at maximum refresh rates. The system adjusts the frequency of navigation information updates based on worker movement and task requirements, providing sufficient guidance while reducing unnecessary energy consumption from constant high-rate display refreshes and sensor operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods involving one or more wearable components that obtain information about a surrounding environment and provide information to a user to assist user in retrieving objects from the surrounding environment. The information may include navigation information related to a route that the user may take to retrieve an object, as well as information about the object to be retrieved. The wearable components may be include ones that may be mounted on the head of the user, as well as components that the user may wear on other parts of the body or that attach to clothing. The wearable components may include image sensors, microphones, machine-readable symbol readers, range-finders, accelerometers, and/or gyroscopes that may collect information from and about the surroundings of the user. The wearable components may also include one or more of a set of speakers and/or a display subsystem to provide information to the user.