Introduction
In most of today's cities and urban areas, e-delivery robots are flourishing in the streets and on sidewalks, delivering goods, groceries, and packages. These e-delivery robots are powered by AI and machine learning, allowing them to smoothly navigate the road. However, safety on the road is very important to pedestrians. Hence, Renesas AI solutions take a step further to improve the autonomy, maintenance, and delivery time of these e-delivery robots, to deliver road safety and convenience to the users.
Renesas Enablement for Delivery Robots
Renesas' solution concept consists of several application proposals targeting enhancements and improvements for the application itself within their daily challenges, such as maintenance, energy, asset management, and others.
Surface Detection for Optimal Delivery
With its integrated AI capabilities, the Renesas concept for delivery robots can identify various surface types, enabling it to adjust speed, direction, and motor torque for maximum efficiency. This smart adaptation ensures optimal delivery times and energy consumption. Remarkably, this feature operates without the need for additional sensors, instead using real-time motor power consumption data to distinguish between the different surfaces.
Fully Autonomous Drive
Our delivery robot concept uses advanced sensor fusion techniques to detect and avoid obstacles. By leveraging camera and LiDAR sensors, it can create a detailed map of its surroundings, enabling precise object avoidance and enhancing safety on the road. Additionally, the robot can have a GNSS sensor for accurate path planning, while integrated AI models for object segmentation and detection allow it to identify target objects and seamlessly navigate to its destination.
360-Degree Visibility and Beyond
Renesas' IP See With Sound (SWS) technology enables this robot concept to detect distant emergency vehicles and accurately detect the Angle of Arrival (AoA) of approaching emergency vehicles, allowing it to either stop or adjust its path to a given way. This capability grants the robot 360-degree visibility and the ability to detect moving objects from a considerable distance.
By integrating acoustic sensing with its line-of-sight sensor suite, the e-delivery robot gains a more comprehensive awareness of its surroundings, enhancing overall system and road safety. Equipped with multiple microphones and powered by advanced AI models, the robot can precisely detect AoA, ensuring high accuracy in real-time detection and navigation to lower accidents on the road.
Voice Command Control
The embedded microphones on this e-delivery robot enable a seamless communication interface with users. By leveraging an AI-powered voice command model, the robot can be directly controlled through these commands, allowing users to interact with it more naturally. This functionality is made possible through a set of predefined voice commands that are directly integrated into the hardware.
Self-Maintenance of On-Device Condition Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance
With its advanced embedded AI capabilities, this robot concept eliminates the need for scheduled maintenance and reduces manpower needs. It continuously monitors the health and status of its motors, providing real-time diagnostics of issues such as unbalanced loads or shaft misalignment on one side or weight identification of the cargo placed on it. Watch our video on "Motor Anomaly Detection – Unbalanced Load & Shaft Misalignment" to learn more about motor anomaly detection.
Advanced delivery robots with a high level of road safety consideration are made possible when powered by state-of-the-art Renesas hardware enabled by the Renesas Reality AI software. These technologies represent a significant leap forward in autonomous logistics. From intelligent object detection and path planning to real-time health diagnostics and voice-controlled interaction, every feature is designed to enhance efficiency, safety, and user experience. By seamlessly integrating innovative sensor fusion, acoustic awareness, and predictive maintenance, this concept robot navigates its environment with precision, optimized performance, and reliability. Watch Renesas' delivery robot video to see how we set a new standard for smart automation, paving the way for the future of delivery systems.
Visit renesas.com/ai to learn more about the available embedded processors, reference voice kit designs, evaluation kits, and development environment, including Renesas partner solutions that can help you to jumpstart your next robot development.