Wheel Robot Straddling Mechanism for Autonomous Package Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current on-road delivery vehicles lack the capability to efficiently and autonomously load and unload packages, limiting their versatility in package delivery operations.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a wheel robot with a grabbing mechanism that can straddle over and off objects, carrying disposable packages with handles, allowing for autonomous delivery and unloading of consumer items by grabbing and releasing the packages at pick-up and drop-off locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If current on-road delivery vehicles are used, then vehicle availability is maintained, but autonomous loading and unloading capability is lacking
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery vehicle is equipped with a robotic arm that enables it to autonomously grasp, lift, and place packages without human intervention. The vehicle performs self-service loading and unloading operations by detecting packages, calculating optimal placement positions, and executing transfer actions independently, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining vehicle availability and achieving autonomous operation capability.
2Productivity
If autonomous grabbing mechanism is added to the vehicle, then autonomous delivery capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm is designed as a multi-functional device that can perform multiple operations including grasping packages of various sizes, lifting them to different heights, placing them in optimal positions, and even opening package containers. This universal device replaces multiple specialized mechanisms, thereby improving delivery efficiency while controlling overall system complexity through functional consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical loading operations with an automated robotic arm controlled by computer vision and position calculation algorithms. The robotic arm uses sensors to detect package characteristics and automatically computes optimal placement positions, substituting complex manual coordination with integrated sensor-processing-actuation systems that simplify the overall control architecture.
3Extent of automation
If the vehicle straddles over packages during delivery, then autonomous navigation capability is improved, but safety of package handling may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Before the vehicle straddles over packages during navigation, the system预先 calculates the optimal placement position and ensures the robotic arm is ready to secure the package. The vehicle detects package characteristics in advance, determines the safest straddling path, and prepares the grabbing mechanism beforehand, thereby maintaining autonomous navigation capability while ensuring package handling safety through preliminary planning and preparation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for autonomously delivering consumer items in disposable packages, in which the disposable package, with the consumer item inside, are carried under a wheel robot using a grabbing mechanism that holds the package under the wheel robot. The wheel robot straddles over the package to allow the grabbing mechanism access to the package during a loading process, and then straddles off the package at a delivery location after the grabbing mechanism releases the package with the consumer item inside. Releasing of the package can be done by lowering the package to the ground in a controlled manner, or by simply releasing the package above ground thereby dropping the package.