Navigation is only a tool or method. Choosing the most suitable solution to serve customers and generate value in different scenarios is the king! I hope that each of us engaged in scientific research and industry in this industry can return to the essence and take value as the key link.

Mobile robots have gradually entered industrial and commercial scenarios, such as industrial logistics handling, last kilometer distribution, security patrol, power patrol, and other applications. On one hand, it is the evolution of the overall industrial demand and the adjustment of the industrial structure. On the other hand, it is closely related to the evolution of mobile robot positioning and navigation methods. From magnetic strip navigation, two-dimensional code navigation, and laser navigation to visual navigation, every improvement in navigation mode brings new industrial opportunities. This article will analyze the changes in market applications brought about by the evolution of positioning and navigation methods.

Magnetic Strip Navigation and Traditional Manufacturing

Magnetic strip navigation is the most common positioning and navigation method for mobile robots, which has played a huge role in the past 20 years. We saw big players in the field of mobile robots, such as Xinsong, Huaxiao, Kunchuan, Machine Science, etc, all take magnetic navigation to the extreme, especially in the automotive field.

magnetic guide AGVA direct delivery plan for large items from an automobile factory (Note: from Huaxiao's official website)

In these fields, the production line is relatively stable, and the route of logistics handling is relatively uniform, turning the assembled production parts that are not easy to handle by manpower into an automated solution to improve operational efficiency. In this process, magnetic guidance also gives full play to its low cost, easy implementation, convenient customization and stability, and other advantages, so you can see many applications of magnetic guided mobile robots on the market. But in the past ten years or so, magnetic guidance has gradually emerged. The route is fixed, it is not easy to adjust after on-site implementation, and the magnetic stripe is easily damaged by objects such as metals on site, etc, which also brings a lot of troubles to users. New applications are also giving birth to new navigation methods.

Two-dimensional code navigation and e-commerce warehousing

Two-dimensional code navigation was brought on fire by Kiva. Amazon bought Kiva systems' robot project for the US $0.775 billion in 2012. The company focused on how to use robots to complete a large number of online order distribution in warehouses. The two-dimensional code guide has been brought into people's field of vision. It was the first time I saw the video of Kiva robots running in an Amazon warehouse in 14 years. It was very shocking. The clustered job scheduling and overall systematic transformation were shocking.

KivaRobot in Storage

A large number of mobile robot companies around warehousing have emerged in China, such as Fast Warehouse, Geek, Muxing, and of course, Hikvision, which has entered the market quickly, as well as Iris, which was acquired by Kuang Shi last year and has been put into use in e-commerce logistics scenarios such as Alibaba, Jingdong and Shentong. Although there are a lot of TV media reports and concepts such as smart logistics that have been mentioned wave after wave, the implementation cost of this set is very high, not only for the robot itself but also for the adjustment of the entire business system.

The principle of two-dimensional code navigation is not complicated. The two-dimensional code camera scans the two-dimensional code information on the ground to obtain its ID, and the location information is obtained by the index map of the ID. On the market, the relatively stable and large quantity of two-dimensional code sensors is also called Beijiafu and Haikangweishi. At present, most two-dimensional code-guided robot companies in China use these two sensors.

In the two-dimensional code guide method, cost is low, the deployment is easy, and the line is easy to adjust. However, the biggest problem is that the two-dimensional code attached to the ground is easy to be worn and needs regular maintenance. Of course, it also requires high ground flatness. Therefore, QR code guidance is very suitable for a scenario without other intervention, such as e-commerce storage or unmanned workshops with good ground conditions.

we have also explored this. Different from the shelf-to-human Kiva, Youibot robot last year made a storage turnover plan for a single bin as a unit. Launched width is only 460mm, compatible with two-dimensional code navigation and laser navigation. Corgi robot and ODS system. This robot has also become one of our main models this year and has landed many applications in the professional service field and semiconductor industry. I will not write in-depth here.

Youibot Corgi Compatible with QR Code and Laser Navigation

Laser Navigation and Discrete Manufacturing and Special Service Industry

laser navigation technology has a long history. When it comes to laser navigation, we have to talk about SLAM technology. SLAM(simultaneous localization and mapping), real-time positioning, and map construction. Robots entering an unknown environment is the premise of path planning and many other tasks and is the key to realizing robot autonomy. We call it the "internal and external repair" of robots ". The development of the theoretical system of laser SLAM was relatively mature in the last century, but its engineering landing has only been steadily realized and promoted in recent years.

SLAM and Robots

the earliest foreign NDC kollmorgen, ANT and other laser navigation module suppliers put into use in the market, providing solutions to OEM machine manufacturers in printing, packaging, medical, machine tools and robots industries. However, the market has not been promoted and used quickly for many reasons, such as high cost and high implementation threshold.Of course, the core problem here is that the market application has not started quickly., in the past 5 to 10 years, beforethe thinking logic of using mobile robots in factories or how to use mobile robots to carry things that people are not easy to move, we can see that the early AGV is of heavy load type.; The same reason is that the demand for commercial services and professional services has not yet been generated. Although the service robot market was very active in 2015-2017, there were very few service robots that really needed to run. They were basically ornaments. At that time, SLAM's service robot manufacturers were basically talking nonsense. In fact, its essence lies in the interaction between voice and business system.

YouiPilotlaser SLAM backend system

in the development of the past few years, we pay attention to the manufacturing industry, especially the discrete manufacturing industry, aircraft, auto parts, 3C semiconductors, and other industries, trying to connect the material flow of the factory, the effect is to improve the overall efficiency, to ensure the stability, continuous and controllable production process.

The laser guidance method has the advantages of good adaptability, no need for additional environmental modification, high deployment efficiency, and fast task adjustment, which makes it possible to bring new applications in manufacturing and more scenarios..mobile robot AMR in this process is far more than replacing human transportation, and has produced greater value.

Trans 200 in the engine production line

Laser SLAM brings the possibility of more tasks, and can basically realize the transfer of the whole logistics link of preparation warehouse-production line-finished product warehouse.

YouiTMS Direct Production Material Process Transfer

Distribution in indirect production materials workshops also plays a great role in value.

YouiTMS Indirect Production Material Workshop Distribution

Next, I will invite the product director of our company's intelligent manufacturing product line to analyze the YouiTMS in intelligent industrial logistics, hoping to bring more use value, so I will not analyze it in depth here.

is not only in the manufacturing industry but also in the special service industry, laser navigation has also played its advantages, especially in inspection scenes such as power plants. In general, this kind of inspection scene is characterized by a large range, high precision requirements (otherwise, no instrument can be seen), difficulty to transform the on-site, or high cost of reconstruction. This kind of inspection scene happens to be the best at laser guidance.

Laser SLAM in Patrol Inspection and Operation Scenarios

Laser navigation also has its disadvantages of high cost, which is mainly due to the overall price of lidar, which makes it difficult to use in civilian and other scenarios. Therefore, everyone is also actively exploring visual navigation and other methods.

Visual Navigation and Commercial Services

Visual SLAM has been a popular direction in both academic and industrial fields in the past few years, such as MonoSLAM, Orb-SLAM, LSD-SLAM, KinectFusion, etc. My Ph.D. topic also revolves around the visual SLAM direction, the well aware of the potential of the future application of visual SLAM. its low cost, richer environmental information, and no need to make any changes to the environment will make its application wider. For example, it is used on more service robots.

but the reality is very skinny, at present. Visual SLAM is immature, unstable, unreliable, and highly dependent on environmental factors such as light.is generally used in sweeping robots and does not require any precision and stability. Most of the ones used in industry are visual road sign (two-dimensional code on the wall)method, if it is hard to say visual SLAM, I also know that it can only be said to be particularly far-fetched. In this, we have a large number of problems that have not yet been solved, there is still a long way to go.

all kinds of service robots

Summary

Navigation is just a tool or method, choosing the most suitable solution to serve customers and generate value in different scenarios is the king.! I hope that each of us engaged in scientific research and industry in this industry can return to the essence and take the value as the key link.