Improvements to position detection and navigation apparatus for a guided robotic machine or vehicle

• Main Authors: Verschuure, Pieter, Schreurs, Ronald, Vercruyssen, Tim
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 18.07.2024
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MEASURING; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; TESTING

The invention relates to the provision of a robotic machine apparatus, a 5 movement navigation system for said robotic machine and a method of providing guidance for said robotic machine within an environment, and most typically, a confined and potentially hazardous environment. The movement navigation is provided to be operate within the environment and provide guidance remotely from personnel who are located outside of said 10 environment. The apparatus includes means to emit at least one signal through a window of said machine and means to receive a reflected return signal from an object in or a surface of the said environment through said or another window so as to provide data to determine the location of the robotic machine and guide the movement of the machine within the 15 environment. At least one optical lens is provided intermediate the signal transmitting means and window and/or signal receiving means and said window, or another window, in order to allow any distortion caused by the signals passing through said at least one window to be reduced or avoided and thereby allow more accurate guidance of the apparatus. q Protective window ' is P Center of laser beam Center of detector field of view Additional corrective optic 31 IR band-pass filter window Borosilicate window (4g Center of laser beam Counter weight Center of detector field of view (for balance) Cylindrical 33 corrective lenses