Sports field marking equipment

A method for interactively providing waypoints to a sports field marking equipment for use in the marking of a sports field comprising the steps of:

• i) Providing a sports field marking equipment, wherein the sports field marking equipment is a mobile robot, the mobile robot comprising:
• a paint applying means adapted for use in marking a sports field on a surface;
• and
• a position determining device configured for determining the position of the mobile robot;
• a distance sensor configured for detecting a goal and/or corner post and the distance thereto;
• a first processor;
• a first memory coupled to the first processor, wherein the first memory comprises program instructions executable by the first processor for:
• receiving a goal and/or corner post detection signal as well as the measured distance from the distance sensor to the goal and/or corner post;
• receiving the position and direction of the mobile robot from the position determining device at the time of receiving the detection signal;
• computing waypoint coordinates of the goal and/or corner post based on the received data;
• and
• storing the computed waypoint coordinates of the goal and/or corner post;
• ii) Positioning the sports field marking equipment in proximity to a first fixed goal and/or corner post of a given sports field;
• iii) Instructing the sports field marking equipment to store the first fixed goal and/or corner post as a first waypoint;
• and
• iv) Repeating steps ii)-iii) at the remaining fixed goal and/or corner post of the sports field to obtain their respective waypoints.

A method for interactively providing waypoints to a sports field marking equipment for use in the marking of a sports field comprising the steps of:

• i) Providing a sports field marking equipment, wherein the sports field marking equipment is a mobile robot, the mobile robot comprising:
• a paint applying means adapted for use in marking a sports field on a surface;
• and
• a position determining device configured for determining the position of the mobile robot;
• a distance sensor configured for detecting a goal and/or corner post and the distance thereto;
• a first processor;
• a first memory coupled to the first processor, wherein the first memory comprises program instructions executable by the first processor for:
• receiving a goal and/or corner post detection signal as well as the measured distance from the distance sensor to the goal and/or corner post;
• receiving the position and direction of the mobile robot from the position determining device at the time of receiving the detection signal;
• computing waypoint coordinates of the goal and/or corner post based on the received data;
• and
• storing the computed waypoint coordinates of the goal and/or corner post;
• ii) Positioning the mobile robot at a given sports field;
• iii) Instructing the mobile robot to search for a fixed goal and/or corner post positioned on the sports field, and when identified to store the first fixed goal and/or corner post as a first waypoint;
• and
• iv) Repeating step iii) at the remaining fixed goal and/or corner post of the sports field to obtain their respective waypoints.

A method for interactively providing waypoints to a sports field marking equipment for use in the marking of a sports field comprising the steps of:

• i) providing a sports field marking equipment, wherein the sports field marking equipment is a mobile robot, the mobile robot comprising:
• a paint applying means adapted for use in marking a sports field on a surface;
• and
• a position determining device configured for determining the position of the mobile robot;
• a distance sensor configured for detecting a goal and/or corner post and the distance thereto;
• a first processor;
• a first memory coupled to the first processor, wherein the first memory comprises program instructions executable by the first processor for:
• receiving a goal and/or corner post detection signal as well as the measured distance from the distance sensor to the goal and/or corner post;
• receiving the position and direction of the mobile robot from the position determining device at the time of receiving the detection signal;
• computing waypoint coordinates of the goal and/or corner post based on the received data;
• and
• storing the computed waypoint coordinates of the goal and/or corner post;
• ii) Positioning the mobile robot at a given sports field;
• iii) Instructing the mobile robot to search for a fixed goal and/or corner post positioned on the sports field, and when identified to store the first fixed goal and/or corner post as a first waypoint;
• iv) Repeating step iii) at the remaining fixed goal and/or corner post of sports field to obtain their respective waypoints;
• and v) marking a specific type of sports field based on the generated waypoint(s) of goal and/or corner posts.

A method for interactively providing waypoints to a sports field marking equipment for use in the marking of a sports field comprising the steps of:

• i) Providing a sports field marking equipment, wherein the sports field marking equipment is a mobile robot, the mobile robot comprising:
• a paint applying means adapted for use in marking a sports field on a surface;
• and
• a position determining device configured for determining the position of the mobile robot;
• a distance sensor configured for detecting a goal and/or corner post and the distance thereto;
• a first processor;
• a first memory coupled to the first processor, wherein the first memory comprises program instructions executable by the first processor for:
• receiving a goal and/or corner post detection signal as well as the measured distance from the distance sensor to the goal and/or corner post;
• receiving the position and direction of the mobile robot from the position determining device at the time of receiving the detection signal;
• computing waypoint coordinates of the goal and/or corner post based on the received data;
• and
• storing the computed waypoint coordinates of the goal and/or corner post;
• ii) Positioning the sports field marking equipment in proximity to a first fixed goal and/or corner post of a given sports field;
• iii) Instructing the sports field marking equipment to store the first fixed goal and/or corner post as a first waypoint;
• iv) Repeating steps ii)-iii) at the remaining fixed goal and/or corner post of the sports field to obtain their respective waypoints;
• and
• v) Marking a specific type of sports field based on the generated waypoint(s) of goal and/or corner posts.