Work Area Boundary Updating for Robotic Mower Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining the boundaries of a work area for mobile devices like robotic lawnmowers are imprecise and require significant computing resources, especially when using SLAM, leading to inefficient navigation and work coverage.
Innovation Solution
A two-step method involving manual and automated movements of the mobile device to capture environmental information, combined with SLAM and orthographic projection, allows for precise boundary determination using computer vision algorithms like semantic segmentation to refine the boundary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the boundary is determined based on environmental information from manually controlled movement, then the setup time is reduced, but the measurement precision of the boundary is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary boundary determination based on environmental information from manually controlled movement to establish an initial boundary quickly. This preliminary action allows the system to start operations without waiting for complete automated verification, thus reducing setup time while maintaining acceptable boundary accuracy for initial operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from automated movement data to verify and adjust the initially determined boundary. By comparing the manually established boundary with actual automated movement patterns and environmental information, the system can refine the boundary precision without requiring complete re-determination, thus improving measurement precision while minimizing additional time cost.
2Measurement precision
If the boundary is verified and adjusted using environmental information from automated movement, then the boundary precision is improved, but the productivity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of performing complete boundary verification along the entire perimeter, the system applies partial verification only to critical sections or areas where boundary precision is most important. This selective approach maintains necessary boundary precision while minimizing the time and resources consumed, thus preserving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary boundary determination using manually controlled movement data before automated operations begin. This preliminary boundary establishment allows automated movements to start immediately with acceptable precision, and subsequent verification is performed selectively or in the background, thus improving boundary precision without significantly impacting overall productivity.
3Measurement precision
If the mobile device moves outside the work area during boundary determination, then the measurement precision of the boundary is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device uses its own automated movement capabilities to verify and refine the boundary by moving along the manually established boundary and capturing environmental information. The device serves itself by utilizing its existing sensors and navigation systems to perform boundary verification, thus improving measurement precision without requiring additional external equipment or increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device's navigation and sensing systems, originally designed for work area operations, are also utilized for boundary determination and verification. By making the device multi-functional, the system can perform both work operations and boundary measurement tasks using the same hardware, thus improving boundary measurement precision without increasing device complexity.
Data Source
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Figure 2c
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for determining a modified boundary (423) that at least partially delimits a working area for a mobile device, in particular a vehicle or robot that moves at least partially automatically, especially a robotic lawnmower, comprising: providing an existing boundary (423) of the working area within an environment in which the mobile device moves or is intended to move, wherein the existing boundary (423) has been determined based on environmental information of the environment obtained during a first movement of the mobile device; providing environmental information, in particular images, of the environment at least in the area of the existing boundary, which is obtained or has been obtained during a further movement of the mobile device along the existing boundary and/or within the existing boundary; and automatically determining the modified boundary.in particular, extending the outline (433) based on the existing outline (423) and the environmental information, in particular images obtained during the re-movement of the mobile device, and providing the modified outline, in particular as a map (420), especially to a user.