Automatic cleaning method of cleaning robot and cleaning robot

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of ocean automatic cleaning equipment, and particularly discloses an automatic cleaning method of a cleaning robot and the cleaning robot, and the method comprises the following steps: obtaining operation track information, determining a target operation area, generating an advancing strategy, and controlling the advancing direction and speed of the cleaning robot, so that the cleaning robot advances to a node; therefore, attachments can be cleaned. Through the steps, the target operation area can be automatically cleaned accurately, and the working efficiency of the cleaning robot is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automatic marine cleaning equipment, and in particular to an automatic cleaning method of a cleaning robot and the cleaning robot. Background Art

[0002] The underwater parts of large ships will be attached by marine organisms. Light attachment will increase fuel consumption by 15%-20%, and heavy attachment will increase fuel consumption by 2-3 times. Therefore, cleaning of hull attachments is a necessary routine maintenance of ships.

[0003] The marine attachments on the hull wall are mainly shellfish, especially barnacles, which have the characteristics of strong adhesion, hard attachment layer, and complex attachment shape. At present, the industry will use a cleaning robot to clean the attachments on the outer wall of the hull. See the underwater wall-climbing robot disclosed in Chinese patent CN116280074A. The underwater wall-climbing robot can travel on the surface of the hull, drive the shearing mechanism to shear and clean the larger and thicker attachments, and cut them thin. The ultrasonic cleaning mechanism performs ultrasonic cleaning on the algae that are cut thin and attached to the surface of the hull. The jet mechanism flushes the residue after cleaning to further improve the cleaning effect, and the complex attachments are cleaned step by step into a standardized wall surface, and the attachments are removed step by step. This method can not only realize the one-time and high-efficiency completion of the cleaning operation, but also create favorable conditions for realizing automated operations and centralized recycling of cleaned objects. However, how to realize the cleaning robot to accurately and automatically clean the outer wall of the hull is a problem that the present invention urgently needs to solve. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art and provide an automatic cleaning method of a cleaning robot and a cleaning robot, which can accurately and automatically clean the target working area and improve the working efficiency of the cleaning robot.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: The automatic cleaning method of a cleaning robot described in the present invention comprises the following steps: 1) Obtain operation track information: including the operation area identification and the operation parameters corresponding to each operation area; 2) Determine the target operation area and generate a travel strategy: Determine the target operation area according to the operation area identifier, and determine the operation parameters of the target operation area. Generate a specific travel strategy and operation cycle based on the determined operation parameters. Determine the travel node sequence and the execution action of the corresponding node according to the operation cycle, travel strategy and the reference value of the cleaning robot's posture angle; 3) Control the forward direction and speed of the cleaning robot: According to the travel strategy and determined operation parameters, control the forward direction and forward speed of the cleaning robot so that the cleaning robot moves to the node; 4) Cleaning attachments: Control the cleaning robot to perform preset actions; 5) Determine whether the current area has been cleaned. If not, return to step 4). If yes, determine again whether all areas have been cleaned. If yes, end the operation. If not, return to step 3) and perform area transfer operation to make the cleaning robot move to the next node.

[0006] The automatic cleaning method of a cleaning robot described in the present invention can accurately and automatically clean the target operation area through the above steps, thereby improving the working efficiency of the cleaning robot.

[0007] Furthermore, in step 2), the determined operation parameters include obstacle information in the target operation area, the size of the target operation area, and a key cleaning area marked by a user in the target operation area.

[0008] Furthermore, the size of the target operating area is the size of a projection area of ​​the target operating area projected on a horizontal plane.

[0009] Furthermore, a specific travel strategy is generated based on the determined operation parameters, specifically: Path planning: Plan a path so that the cleaning robot can cover the entire target operation area while avoiding all known obstacles; Cleaning frequency: Determine the cleaning frequency of each target work area based on the size of the target work area and the key cleaning areas marked by the user.

[0010] Furthermore, a specific operation cycle is generated based on the determined operation parameters, specifically: the time required to complete a complete cleaning is calculated based on the size of the projection area of ​​the target operation area on the horizontal plane. At the same time, buffer time is reserved for the operation cycle taking into account possible delays or additional cleaning requirements in the actual operation.

[0011] Furthermore, according to the operation cycle, the travel strategy and the reference value of the attitude angle of the cleaning robot, the travel node sequence and the execution action of the corresponding node are determined, specifically: Divide travel nodes: According to the travel strategy and the size of the target operation area, the entire cleaning area is divided into several travel nodes. Each travel node represents the location that the cleaning robot needs to reach and clean. Determine the node execution action: At each travel node, determine the action that the robot needs to perform based on the attitude angle reference value and current position of the cleaning robot; considering that different travel nodes have different cleaning requirements, it is necessary to assign appropriate execution actions to each travel node; Plan the travel sequence: According to the travel strategy and operation cycle, plan the order in which the cleaning robot visits each travel node to ensure that the cleaning robot can traverse all nodes and return to certain travel nodes for repeated cleaning when necessary.

[0012] Furthermore, in step 3), the operation parameters are determined according to the travel strategy, specifically according to the travel strategy and the key cleaning areas marked by the user.

[0013] Furthermore, in step 3), during the movement of the cleaning robot, the ultrasonic module and the attitude sensor are used to perform obstacle detection and hull edge detection, specifically: Obstacle detection: Use the ultrasonic module to monitor the obstacles in front of the cleaning robot in real time. When the distance of the obstacle is detected to be less than the preset safety threshold, the cleaning robot will trigger the obstacle avoidance function to bypass the obstacle and return to the original planned path to continue moving; Hull edge detection: The attitude sensor monitors the attitude angle changes of the cleaning robot in real time. Combining the data detected by the ultrasonic module and the attitude angle data detected by the attitude sensor, the edge detection algorithm is used to determine whether the cleaning robot is close to the edge of the hull. When it is determined that the cleaning robot is close to the edge of the hull, the emergency braking or steering command is immediately triggered.

[0014] Furthermore, in step 3), when the cleaning robot is moving or performing an area transfer operation, if it is detected that the path of the cleaning robot is offset, the actual path of the cleaning robot needs to be adjusted, specifically: 31) When the cleaning robot moves from the previous node to the current node, it records the data of its posture sensor in real time, and also records the obstacle distance information measured by the ultrasonic module; 32) Process the collected attitude sensor data to calculate the actual route of the cleaning robot. At the same time, combine the data from the ultrasonic module to identify the obstacles encountered by the cleaning robot and their locations; 33) Compare the actual route with the pre-planned route to obtain the deviation of the cleaning robot from the pre-planned route; 34) Formulate a corresponding adjustment strategy based on the offset in step 33). If the offset is small, directly adjust the direction and speed of the cleaning robot to return it to the pre-planned route. If the offset is large, re-plan the path so that the cleaning robot can reach the target node smoothly. 35) According to the adjustment strategy formulated in step 34), the cleaning robot is controlled to perform turning or acceleration / deceleration operations to correct its travel route.

[0015] A cleaning robot described in the present invention comprises a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot is implemented.

[0016] The cleaning robot described in the present invention can execute the automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot, and thus can accurately and automatically clean the target operation area, thereby improving the working efficiency of the cleaning robot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear by more specific description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention shown in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals indicate the same parts in all the accompanying drawings, and the accompanying drawings are not deliberately scaled to the actual size, and the focus is on illustrating the main purpose of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 1 It is the work flow chart of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more comprehensive description of the present invention will be given below with reference to the relevant drawings.

[0020] It should be noted that when an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected to another element and integrated therewith, or there may be an intermediate element at the same time. The terms "installed", "one end", "the other end" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art. The terms used in the specification herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0022] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being “above” or “below” a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being “above”, “above”, and “above” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being “below”, “below”, and “below” a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0023] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "preferred embodiment", "further embodiment", "other embodiments" or "specific example" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0024] The present invention specifically provides an embodiment of an automatic cleaning method of a cleaning robot, see Figure 1 , including the following steps: Step (1), obtaining operation track information: including the operation area identification and the operation parameters corresponding to each operation area; in step (1), the operation area can be manually identified, and the operation parameters of each operation area can be collected and recorded.

[0025] Step (2), determine the target operation area and generate a travel strategy: determine the target operation area according to the operation area identifier, and determine the operation parameters of the target operation area, generate a specific travel strategy and operation cycle based on the determined operation parameters, and determine the travel node sequence and the execution action of the corresponding node according to the operation cycle, the travel strategy and the reference value of the posture angle of the cleaning robot.

[0026] Step (3), controlling the forward direction and speed of the cleaning robot: According to the travel strategy and determined operation parameters (especially the key cleaning area marked by the user), the forward direction and forward speed of the cleaning robot are controlled so that the cleaning robot moves to the node.

[0027] Step (4), cleaning the attachments: Control the cleaning robot to perform the preset execution action. In this embodiment, the execution action can be the shearing work performed by the shearing mechanism or the vibration work performed by the ultrasonic component. According to the actual situation, one of the shearing work and the vibration work can be selected separately, or both can be selected at the same time. Shearing is performed by shearing work first, and then ultrasonic vibration is performed by vibration work, which is more conducive to cleaning the attachments. The ultrasonic component in the execution action is not the same technical content as the ultrasonic module used to detect roadblocks. In addition, when the cleaning robot moves to the node to perform operations, it is necessary to combine the attitude sensor to adjust the pitch angle of the cleaning robot so that the cleaning robot can effectively remove the attachments in the current area.

[0028] Step (5) determines whether the current area has been cleaned. If not, return to step (4). If so, determine again whether all areas have been cleaned. If so, end the operation. If not, return to step (3) and perform the area transfer operation to move the cleaning robot to the next node. In this embodiment, when performing the area transfer operation, it is necessary to determine whether the cleaning robot has deviated from the node, that is, to determine whether the cleaning robot has deviated from the pre-planned route. If so, make adjustments and then return to step (3). If not, return directly to step (3).

[0029] Through the above steps, the target operation area can be accurately and automatically cleaned, improving the working efficiency of the cleaning robot.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, in step (2), the operation parameters determined include obstacle information in the target operation area, the size of the target operation area, and the key cleaning areas marked by the user in the target operation area, wherein the size of the target operation area is the size of the projected area of ​​the target operation area projected on the horizontal plane, the obstacle information is all known obstacles in the target operation area, including their location, size, and type, and the key cleaning areas are cleaning areas that the user pays special attention to, and these areas require more frequent or more thorough cleaning. Specifically, based on the determination of the operation parameters, a specific travel strategy is generated, specifically: Path planning: planning a path, which is a pre-set travel route and can be generated by the path planning algorithm, so that the travel path of the cleaning robot can cover the entire target operation area while avoiding all known obstacles; Cleaning frequency: determining the cleaning frequency of each target operation area based on the size of the target operation area and the key cleaning areas marked by the user, for example, a larger target operation area or key cleaning area can be set with a higher cleaning frequency. The specific operation cycle is generated based on the determined operation parameters, specifically: the time required to complete a complete cleaning is calculated based on the size of the projection area of ​​the target operation area on the horizontal plane, combined with the cleaning speed and efficiency of the robot. This calculation method is the existing technology. At the same time, considering the possible delays or additional cleaning needs in the actual operation, buffer time is reserved for the operation cycle, such as reserving a buffer time of 10 minutes.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, in step (2), the sequence of travel nodes and the execution actions of the corresponding nodes are determined according to the operation cycle, the travel strategy and the reference value of the attitude angle of the cleaning robot, specifically: dividing the travel nodes: according to the travel strategy and the size of the target operation area, the entire cleaning area (i.e., the target operation area) is divided into a number of travel nodes, each travel node represents a position that the cleaning robot needs to reach and clean; determining the node execution action: at each travel node, according to the reference value of the attitude angle and the current position of the cleaning robot, determining the action that the robot needs to perform, such as area transfer and / or cleaning of attachments; considering that different travel nodes have different cleaning requirements, appropriate execution actions need to be assigned to each travel node; planning the travel sequence: according to the travel strategy and the operation cycle, planning the order in which the cleaning robot visits each travel node to ensure that the cleaning robot can traverse all nodes and return to certain travel nodes for repeated cleaning when necessary.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, in step (3), during the movement of the cleaning robot, obstacle detection and hull edge detection are performed by cooperation of an ultrasonic module and a posture sensor. Specifically, obstacle detection: an ultrasonic module is used to monitor obstacles in front of the cleaning robot in real time. The ultrasonic sensor can be used to calculate the distance between the cleaning robot and the obstacle by emitting ultrasonic waves and receiving echo signals. When the distance to the obstacle is detected to be less than a preset safety threshold, the cleaning robot will trigger the obstacle avoidance position. According to the position and distance of the obstacle, the cleaning robot can adjust its direction of travel, bypass the obstacle, and return to the original planned path to continue moving. Hull edge detection: the posture sensor monitors the change of the posture angle of the cleaning robot in real time. The posture angle includes the pitch angle, the roll angle and the yaw angle. Combined with the data detected by the ultrasonic module and the posture angle data detected by the posture sensor, an edge detection algorithm is used to determine whether the cleaning robot is close to the hull edge. When it is determined that the cleaning robot is close to the hull edge, an emergency braking or steering command is immediately triggered to prevent the cleaning robot from falling.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, in step (3), during the movement of the cleaning robot or during the area transfer operation, if it is detected that the movement path of the cleaning robot is offset, the actual movement path of the cleaning robot needs to be adjusted, specifically: step (31), in the process of the cleaning robot moving from the previous node to the current node, the data of its attitude sensor is recorded in real time, and these data include the attitude angle information of the pitch angle, roll angle and yaw angle of the cleaning robot, and the obstacle distance information measured by the ultrasonic module is recorded; step (32), the collected attitude sensor data is processed to calculate the actual movement path of the cleaning robot, which can be achieved by integrating the change of the attitude angle, thereby obtaining the movement trajectory of the cleaning robot in space, and at the same time, combined with the data of the ultrasonic module, the obstacles encountered by the cleaning robot and their positions are identified; step (33 ), compare the actual route with the pre-planned route, and obtain the offset of the cleaning robot from the pre-planned route. In this way, it is possible to accurately know at which position the cleaning robot deviates from the predetermined route and the degree of deviation; step (34), formulate a corresponding adjustment strategy according to the offset in step (33). If the offset is small, directly adjust the travel direction and speed of the cleaning robot to return to the pre-planned route. If the offset is large, it is necessary to re-plan the path so that the cleaning robot can smoothly reach the target node; step (35), according to the adjustment strategy formulated in step (34), control the cleaning robot to turn or accelerate / decelerate to correct its route. At the same time, in this embodiment, during this process, the posture and position of the cleaning robot are continuously monitored to ensure the effective implementation of the adjustment measures. In addition, after the adjustment is completed, the position and posture of the cleaning robot are checked again to confirm whether it has returned to the correct route. If there is still a deviation, the above steps need to be repeated until a satisfactory accuracy is achieved. Through the above steps, the deviation problem of the cleaning robot during the cleaning operation can be effectively solved, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of its cleaning operation.

[0034] The present invention also specifically provides an embodiment of a cleaning robot, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot when executing the computer program. The cleaning robot can accurately and automatically clean the target operation area because it can execute the automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot, thereby improving the working efficiency of the cleaning robot.

[0035] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An automatic cleaning method for a cleaning robot, characterized in that: Includes steps: 1) Obtain operation track information: including the operation area identification and the operation parameters corresponding to each operation area; 2) Determine the target operation area and generate a travel strategy: Determine the target operation area according to the operation area identifier, and determine the operation parameters of the target operation area. Generate a specific travel strategy and operation cycle based on the determined operation parameters. Determine the travel node sequence and the execution action of the corresponding node according to the operation cycle, travel strategy and the reference value of the cleaning robot's posture angle; 3) Control the forward direction and speed of the cleaning robot: According to the travel strategy and determined operation parameters, control the forward direction and forward speed of the cleaning robot so that the cleaning robot moves to the node; 4) Cleaning attachments: Control the cleaning robot to perform preset actions; 5) Determine whether the current area has been cleaned. If not, return to step 4). If yes, determine again whether all areas have been cleaned. If yes, end the operation. If not, return to step 3) and perform area transfer operation to make the cleaning robot move to the next node.

2. The automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step 2), the determined operation parameters include obstacle information in the target operation area, the size of the target operation area, and the key cleaning area marked by the user in the target operation area.

3. The automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The size of the target operating area is the size of the projection area of ​​the target operating area projected on the horizontal plane.

4. The automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: Generate a specific travel strategy based on the determined operation parameters, specifically: Path planning: Plan a path so that the cleaning robot can cover the entire target operation area while avoiding all known obstacles; Cleaning frequency: Determine the cleaning frequency of each target work area based on the size of the target work area and the key cleaning areas marked by the user.

5. The automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: A specific operation cycle is generated based on the determined operation parameters, specifically: the time required to complete a complete cleaning is calculated based on the size of the projection area of ​​the target operation area on the horizontal plane. At the same time, buffer time is reserved for the operation cycle taking into account delays or additional cleaning needs in actual operations.

6. The automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: According to the operation cycle, travel strategy and the reference value of the cleaning robot's attitude angle, the travel node sequence and the execution actions of the corresponding nodes are determined, specifically: Divide travel nodes: According to the travel strategy and the size of the target operation area, the entire cleaning area is divided into several travel nodes. Each travel node represents the location that the cleaning robot needs to reach and clean. Determine the node execution action: At each travel node, determine the action that the robot needs to perform based on the attitude angle reference value and current position of the cleaning robot; considering that different travel nodes have different cleaning requirements, it is necessary to assign appropriate execution actions to each travel node; Plan the travel sequence: According to the travel strategy and operation cycle, plan the order in which the cleaning robot visits each travel node to ensure that the cleaning robot can traverse all nodes and return to certain travel nodes for repeated cleaning.

7. The automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: In step 3), the operation parameters are determined according to the travel strategy, specifically according to the travel strategy and the key cleaning area marked by the user.

8. The automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that: In step 3), during the movement of the cleaning robot, the ultrasonic module and the attitude sensor are used to detect obstacles and the edge of the hull, specifically: Obstacle detection: Use the ultrasonic module to monitor the obstacles in front of the cleaning robot in real time. When the distance of the obstacle is detected to be less than the preset safety threshold, the cleaning robot will trigger the obstacle avoidance function to bypass the obstacle and return to the original planned path to continue moving; Hull edge detection: The attitude sensor monitors the attitude angle changes of the cleaning robot in real time. Combining the data detected by the ultrasonic module and the attitude angle data detected by the attitude sensor, the edge detection algorithm is used to determine whether the cleaning robot is close to the edge of the hull. When it is determined that the cleaning robot is close to the edge of the hull, the emergency braking or steering command is immediately triggered.

9. The automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: In step 3), when the cleaning robot is moving or performing area transfer operations, if it is detected that the cleaning robot's path is offset, the actual path of the cleaning robot needs to be adjusted, specifically: 31) When the cleaning robot moves from the previous node to the current node, it records the data of its posture sensor in real time, and also records the obstacle distance information measured by the ultrasonic module; 32) Process the collected attitude sensor data to calculate the actual route of the cleaning robot. At the same time, combine the data from the ultrasonic module to identify the obstacles encountered by the cleaning robot and their locations; 33) Compare the actual route with the pre-planned route to obtain the deviation of the cleaning robot from the pre-planned route; 34) Formulate a corresponding adjustment strategy based on the offset in step 33). If the offset is small, directly adjust the direction and speed of the cleaning robot to return it to the pre-planned route. If the offset is large, re-plan the path so that the cleaning robot can reach the target node smoothly. 35) According to the adjustment strategy formulated in step 34), the cleaning robot is controlled to perform turning or acceleration / deceleration operations to correct its travel route.

10. A cleaning robot, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and operable on the processor, characterized in that: When the processor executes the computer program, the automatic cleaning method of the cleaning robot according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is implemented.

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