Robot-Assisted Driving Systems for Diverse Industries

Publication ID: 24-11857281_0007_PTD
Published: November 07, 2025
Category:New Applications & Use Cases

Legal Citation

pr1or.art Inc., “Robot-Assisted Driving Systems for Diverse Industries,” Published Technical Disclosure No. 24-11857281_0007_PTD, Published November 07, 2025, available at https://archive.pr1or.art/24-11857281_0007_PTD
This technical disclosure describes improvements that would be readily apparent to a Person Having Ordinary Skill In The Art (PHOSITA) when considered in combination with the foundational architecture disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 11,857,281.

Summary of the Inventive Concept

This inventive concept leverages the core technology of robot-assisted driving systems to tackle complex problems in various industries beyond medical instrumentation, including agriculture, environmental monitoring, search and rescue, infrastructure inspection, and autonomous delivery.

Background and Problem Solved

The original patent focused on robot-assisted driving systems for flexible medical instruments. However, the core technology has broader applications. The new inventive concept addresses the limitations of the original patent by applying the technology to diverse industries, where it can bring significant value and innovation.

Detailed Description of the Inventive Concept

The new inventive concept involves adapting the robot-assisted driving system to navigate and operate in various environments, such as agricultural fields, environmental monitoring areas, debris-filled or hard-to-reach areas, infrastructure tunnels and bridges, and urban or rural delivery routes. The system utilizes sensors and autonomous navigation to optimize crop yields, collect environmental data, detect survivors or hazards, identify infrastructure damage, and avoid obstacles or pedestrians.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The new claims introduce novel applications of the robot-assisted driving system, expanding its use beyond medical instrumentation. The inventive step lies in the adaptation of the core technology to address specific challenges in diverse industries, providing a new and non-obvious solution.

Alternative Embodiments and Variations

Alternative embodiments of the inventive concept could include customizing the robot-assisted driving system for specific industries, integrating additional sensors or tools, or developing modular components for easier deployment and maintenance.

Potential Commercial Applications and Market

The inventive concept has significant commercial potential in various industries, including agriculture, environmental monitoring, search and rescue, infrastructure inspection, and autonomous delivery. The target market includes companies and organizations seeking innovative solutions to complex problems, with potential for significant revenue growth and social impact.

Field of Art

Robotic systems and autonomous navigation technologies, with expertise in sensor integration, path planning, and multi-environment adaptable robotic platforms

Person of Ordinary Skill (PHOSITA) Profile

A skilled engineer with advanced degrees in robotics, mechanical engineering, or computer science, experienced in designing autonomous systems that can adapt to complex navigation challenges across multiple domains

Obviousness Rationale

The PTD represents a straightforward extension of the source patent's core robotic driving technology by applying its fundamental navigation and sensing principles to diverse industrial contexts. A PHOSITA would recognize that the underlying autonomous navigation and sensor integration techniques are fundamentally transferable across different operational environments. The technical challenges of navigation, obstacle detection, and precise movement are substantially similar whether applied in medical, agricultural, or search and rescue contexts.

Obvious Combinations & Variations

Source Patent Element
Instrument with elongate members capable of traversing anatomical passageways
PTD Variation
Robot-assisted driving system navigating through agricultural fields, infrastructure tunnels, and urban environments
Obviousness Reasoning
Known technique of adapting robotic navigation principles to different spatial constraints, representing a predictable application of existing sensor and movement control technologies
Source Patent Element
Controller providing visual path indication based on target points
PTD Variation
Sensor-driven navigation systems for crop optimization, environmental monitoring, and autonomous delivery
Obviousness Reasoning
Predictable extension of path planning algorithms to alternative domains, utilizing substantially identical computational and sensing approaches
Source Patent Element
Precise movement control of elongate instrument through complex spatial environments
PTD Variation
Autonomous systems navigating debris-filled areas, infrastructure, and challenging terrain
Obviousness Reasoning
Applying known robotic movement techniques to diverse environments represents a standard engineering design choice with expected technological transferability
Source Patent Element
Integrated sensing and positioning technologies for tracking instrument location
PTD Variation
Multi-sensor networks collecting environmental data and detecting obstacles across different operational contexts
Obviousness Reasoning
Leveraging established sensor fusion and data collection methodologies in a manner that would be obvious to a skilled robotics engineer
35 U.S.C. § 103 Summary: Based on the teachings of US Patent 11857281 and the disclosed variations, a person of ordinary skill in the art would find the claimed innovations in diverse robotic navigation applications to be obvious and lacking inventive step. The fundamental technological principles of autonomous navigation, sensor integration, and adaptive movement control are substantially identical across the disclosed industrial domains, rendering the claimed variations predictable extensions of existing robotic system technologies.

Original Patent Information

Patent NumberUS 11,857,281
TitleRobot-assisted driving systems and methods
Assignee(s)Auris Health, Inc.