Unicore: A little robot marks the lines

Marking the lines of a soccer field in Vejle, Denmark using a TinyLineMaker Pro X. (Photo. Unicore)

Robotic technology is increasingly integrated into daily life, including applications such as delivery vehicles, automated lawn mowers and line painting robots. Among the critical factors shaping the navigation capabilities of these robotic machines, precise positioning and heading are paramount. Leveraging Unicore’s high-precision GNSS real-time kinematics (RTK) module, TinyMobileRobots, a Danish company, has developed advanced autonomous systems that excel in navigating complex environments.

RTK technology, which greatly compensates for errors in GNSS satellite signals, enables real-time positioning accuracy within 1 cm to
2 cm. The RTK algorithm in Unicore’s UM960 multi-constellation, multi-frequency GNSS module gives it high reliability, precision and fix rate.

Sports fields grounds maintenance teams at schools, parks, housing developments and other locations often need to refresh line markings, which is a very labor-intensive and challenging process. In search of a more rapid and efficient solution, the team marking the lines of a soccer field in Vejle, Denmark, opted for TinyMobileRobots’ autonomous system. This system is becoming popular among groundskeeping teams due to its ability to queue multiple pitches for sequential marking without recalibration, maximizing productivity. It also alerts users when it is running low on paint and estimates its remaining time and distance. The enhanced capacity afforded by the robot’s efficiency also allowed the team to explore new service offerings, such as providing line marking services to other organizations.

The TinyLineMaker Pro X estimates when it will run low on paint and alerts users. (Image: Unicore)

For outdoor robotic applications, GNSS technology’s levels of accuracy range from sub-meter positioning to decimeter and centimeter levels in real time, depending on the specific application. When integrated with complementary sensors such as inertial navigation systems (INS), vision, and radar, robotic navigation can be effectively realized across diverse and complex environments.