Tomobo
Your autonomous, mobile box-lugger: An toolbox-lugging AMR designed with guidance of mentors at Crown Equipment Corporation.
Project Context:
This project was done during the time spent as a model shop co-op at Crown Equipment Corporation. I was provided guidance from my supervisor and other mentors at Crown, similar to recieving pointers from your professor during an academic semester. The goal was to focus on sketching, with no CAD or 3D rendering software being used. All of the content shown below are either done by hand or in Procreate.
Although Crown branding is used, the project was completely entirely by myself and does not parallel with anything that Crown is investigating or developing as apart of their work.
The initial concept: companions...
In video games, they travel with the player and are right there when you need some tool to further the story.
Several products accomplish this theme, but not many at the autonomous level.
DEFINITION
What is an AMR?
A-utonomous
M-obile
R-obot
BENCHMARKING
What AMRs are out there already?
iRobot Roombas
- Can distinguish between different debris with infared and photocell sensors
- Can pivot direction after collision
- Optical encoders in the wheels provide data on travel distance
- Can be commanded from smartphone
Badger Technologies retail bot
- Needs to be trained by walking through layout of store
- Can input data into a table based on illuminating scan
Starship delivery bot
- For outdoor use: withstands temperature and can cross streets alone
- Uses satellite imagery to create fastest destination route
- Epc660 imager camera chip to detect objects from far
- Ultrasonic sensors and a total of twelve camera for thorough awareness
CROWN RELEVANCY + TOOLBOX TIE-IN
Crown Equipment Corporation's specialties
The selected audience:
Shop techs, warehouse workers, and other handy people
Shop techs work at Crown, and warehouse workers are who Crown products are for. Other handy people from other professions are also within this working demographic.
Material Handling to Toolbox Handling
Crown’s main identity is with lift trucks and transporting stock. This proposed AMR would transport toolboxes for the shop technicians and warehouse workers.
Safety
One of Crown’s main specialties is safety. They develop top-of-the-line safe trucks and also endorse safe work practices. This new AMR would address safety by reducing body strain in the consumer.
Toolboxes are widely used by various people, including Crown employees. Although systems like Milwaukee Packout and Ryobi LINK exist, they are still manually transported. The next step would be to automate the movement of these toolbox systems.
Project Statement
Design an AMR that:
carries a toolbox securely
follows a warehouse worker or shop tech
adjusts to their height
to prevent chronic back pain and wasted human energy.
INITIAL CONCEPT
Adapting the Scissor Mechanism into Tomobo: the first idea
The initial raising mechanism was inspired by the reach mechanism used on Crown’s RR and RD 5700. A smaller adaptation of this ‘scissor’ form would be used as a raise motion.Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are transport robots designed to move loads autonomously in a diverse range of industries, from automotive to logistics to consumer goods and other industrial processes.
Figuring out the internals
< How does a Tomobo AMR need to be?
> Big enough to fit whats inside.
< Well, what's inside of a Tomobo?
Rods instead of scissors
The earlier scissoring form presents a threat to a user as they often will be moving their hands close to the mechanism.
Acme rods, which are long threaded rods, are the solution. They are used on 3D printers to raise and lower the print bed.
To prevent less injury, they will be placed inside of telescoping guards.
These guarded acme rods are:
- safer
- significantly lighter-weight
- also precise and smooth
CHOSEN INTERNALS DIRECTION
Tomobo’s finalized internal components:
The LiDAR sensors are one of the more important components. It is how Tomobo and other AMRs can see. LiDAR stands for Light Detection And Ranging.They use light from lasers to measure distance and create a visual for the computer to interpret.
Another important note is that the components are mostly center-aligned, ensuring that the Tomobo has a stable center of gravity. This is also why the wheels are at the furthest edges of the form: to hold everything steady that nothing can tip over at Tomobo's full height.
Exterior form development
What will the Tomobo look like?
INSPIRATION BOARD
Insects, beetles, and their abstractions
Stability: A structurally stable appearance and construction. Helps ensure trust that the Tomobo will not break.
Nuanced shape: Opportunity to be be simplified to maintain nuance.
Mirrored and Center-focused: Mirrored and radial visuals align with design goal to have a stable structure and appearance.
Empathy: People can bond with the form to a small extent; not as much as a pet or friend but a companion.
Biomimicry: Nature has been perfecting its designs for millions of years. Why not take inspiration from nature?
Some beginning sketches ideating on form profiles of the Tomobo.
Exposing the LiDAR sensors is a continued visual look that gives the Tomobo a distinct look, but also serves functional purpose. It provides the LiDAR puck with more space to scan the area, making the Tomobo less prone to fault.
DESIGN FREEZE
More detailed perspective sketches of the Tomobo
DEFINING THE TOOLBOX TRAY
Tomobo's loading tray
What can fit in the tray:
Milwaukee Packout large toolbox
Ryobi Link medium toolbox
Dewalt ToughSystem large toolbox
Designing the Mote:
What if the user wants to operate Tomobo manually?
A remote control was designed for Tomobo called the Mote. It is for users who prefer to manually operate Tomobo or for hard-to reach-locations that require more precision than a computer can currently configure. It was based off of the Roku tv remote; capturing the simple and intuitive controls and remaining a small, simple profile. The Mote is designed to be attached to a keychain or employee badge, similar to those worn by Crown employees.
The sketch in the top left is what the final was created off of.
