Wireless Robot Command Control with Action-Based QoS Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication protocols in industrial automation, such as EtherCAT and ProfiNet, assume reliable wire-based communication, which is not applicable to wireless command transmission, leading to deterministic behavior issues due to uncertainties like packet loss and delay, necessitating a technique to optimize wireless resource usage while maintaining Quality of Service (QoS).
Innovation Solution
A controller that determines the Quality of Control (QoC) level for robotic device actions and adjusts transmission parameters accordingly, allowing for flexible QoS settings based on the action's requirements, optimizing wireless resource usage by relaxing QoS for less critical commands and maintaining high QoS for critical ones, influencing control tolerance settings and PID control loops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless transmission settings guarantee constantly high QoS for command transmission, then reliability of command transmission is improved, but wireless resource usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes transmission parameters (such as modulation scheme, coding rate, transmission power) based on the determined QoC level of the action. For high QoC actions, more robust parameters ensuring high QoS are used; for low QoC actions, less resource-intensive parameters are applied, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission settings are made dynamic rather than static. The controller adapts the QoS level in real-time based on the QoC assessment of each action, allowing the system to optimize resource usage while maintaining adequate reliability for each specific command type.
2Ease of operation
If wireless command transmission is used for remote control, then ease of operation for remote site control is improved, but deterministic behavior deteriorates due to packet loss and delay
Solution Approach 1:
Different QoS levels are applied locally to different command types based on their specific QoC requirements. Critical commands receive high QoS treatment with robust error correction and retransmission mechanisms, while non-critical commands use simpler transmission protocols, thus maintaining deterministic behavior where needed while enabling remote operation elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the controller receives acknowledgment signals from the robotic device to confirm successful command reception and execution. This feedback loop allows the system to detect and handle packet loss, maintaining deterministic behavior through active monitoring and retransmission when necessary.
3Productivity
If control tolerance settings are relaxed for low QoC actions, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The controller changes control parameter settings (such as PID parameters, control tolerance thresholds) based on the QoC level of the action. For low QoC actions, more aggressive control parameters enabling faster execution are applied; for high QoC actions, stricter control parameters ensuring high precision are used, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and precision.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
A controller for controlling wireless command transmission to a robotic device is described. The controller is configured to obtain an action that is to be performed by a robotic device and to determine a quality of control (QoC), level that is associated with the action. The controller is further configured to trigger a setting of at least one transmission parameter for a wireless transmission of a command pertaining to the action. The transmission parameter setting is dependent on the QoC level determined for the action.