Method for controlling movement of robot, robot and computer storage medium

Abstract

A method of controlling movement of a robot, the robot, and a computer storage medium, the robot for cleaning within a pool-shaped building having a bottom surface and a side wall surface, the method comprising: the robot acquiring side wall surface information within a first predetermined area of the side wall surface; whether the side wall surface information meets preset conditions or not is judged, and if the side wall surface information meets the preset conditions, when the robot runs to the first preset area of the side wall surface, the robot is controlled to laterally move in the first preset area of the side wall surface. According to the method, the situation that the robot is stuck or falls off from the pool wall can be avoided, meanwhile, the areas such as walls, wall corners and water lines in the swimming pool can be comprehensively cleaned, cleaning dead corners are avoided, and the intelligence and the cleaning effect of the swimming pool robot are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a method for controlling the movement of a robot, a robot performing the method, and a computer storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of sensor and artificial intelligence technologies, pool cleaning robots have been widely used. However, due to limitations in unreliable 3D positioning and sensor technology, most current pool cleaning robot wall cleaning solutions still involve random cleaning or cleaning along fixed trajectories, without taking into account the wall structure and its changes.

[0003] Simple, random angle cleaning methods fail to demonstrate the robot's intelligence, leading to missed areas and repeated cleaning. Furthermore, pool walls are not perfectly smooth surfaces; they may contain wall lights, water inlets / outlets, handrails, steps, or other irregularly shaped structures. Cleaning the pool walls along a fixed trajectory weakens the robot's adhesion to these uneven areas, potentially causing it to get stuck or even detach. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling the movement of a robot is provided, the robot being used for cleaning within a pool-shaped building, the pool-shaped building having a bottom surface and sidewall surfaces, the method comprising: the robot acquiring sidewall surface information within a first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface; determining whether the sidewall surface information satisfies the predetermined conditions, wherein, if the sidewall surface information satisfies the predetermined conditions, when the robot moves to the first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface, the robot is controlled to perform lateral movement within the first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface.

[0005] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a computer storage medium is provided that stores a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, implements the methods described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0006] According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, a robot is also provided, including a memory and a processor, wherein computer program instructions are stored on the memory, and the processor executes the methods described in the foregoing embodiments when processing the program instructions.

[0007] The method and device for controlling robot movement according to the embodiments of the present invention dynamically select the cleaning route based on the detection results of irregular structures on the pool wall, which can effectively avoid irregular structures on the pool wall and prevent the robot from getting stuck or falling off the pool wall. At the same time, it can also thoroughly clean the walls, corners, water level lines and other areas in the pool without leaving any cleaning dead corners, which greatly improves the intelligence and cleaning effect of the pool robot. Attached Figure Description

[0008] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. The accompanying drawings in the following description are merely exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

[0009] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method for controlling the movement of a robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0010] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a robot's movement trajectory according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0011] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a robot's movement trajectory according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0012] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a robot structure according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 A flowchart of a method 100 for controlling robot movement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. In this embodiment, the robot is used for moving and cleaning within a pool-shaped structure, such as a swimming pool, a water tank, a water reservoir, or a water trough. The present disclosure uses a swimming pool as an example to illustrate the pool-shaped structure. The interior of the swimming pool includes a bottom and sidewalls. The bottom has a bottom surface, and the sidewalls have sidewall surfaces. Depending on the shape of the swimming pool, the sidewalls may include one or more sidewall surfaces. For example, the sidewall surfaces of a circular swimming pool are circular or curved, and a rectangular or square swimming pool includes four sidewalls, each of which is rectangular. A semi-circular swimming pool includes semi-circular sidewalls and rectangular sidewalls, etc.

[0015] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 3 The method 100 for controlling the movement of a robot disclosed herein will be described in detail. The method 100 includes steps S101 to S103.

[0016] In step S101, the robot acquires sidewall surface information within a first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface.

[0017] Sidewall surface information includes surface smoothness or surface roughness, or both. Surface smoothness and / or surface roughness can determine whether a sidewall surface is smooth or uneven. For example, swimming pools typically require wall lights, water outlets, inlets, ladders, steps, or other objects; if these objects are placed on the sidewall surface, it will make the surface uneven.

[0018] Surface flatness can be one or more of the following types of information:

[0019] Peak-valley flatness error (FLTt) represents the sum of the absolute values ​​of the deviations of the peaks and troughs in the plane from the ideal plane. The ideal plane can be the minimum region reference plane or the least squares reference plane.

[0020] Peak-to-base planeness error (FLTp) represents the deviation of the wave crest from the ideal plane in the plane. This parameter is defined only for the least squares reference plane.

[0021] Valley-base plane flatness error (FLTv) represents the deviation of the valley from the ideal plane in the plane. This parameter is consistent with FLTp and is defined only for the least squares reference plane.

[0022] The root mean square flatness error (FLTq) represents the square root of the sum of the squares of the deviations of each measurement point from the reference plane, reflecting the degree of deviation of each measurement point from the ideal plane. This value is also defined only for the minimum required reference plane.

[0023] Surface roughness can be the average arithmetic deviation Ra of the profile.

[0024] It should be understood that the above description of surface smoothness and surface roughness is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the connotation and denotation of these two terms. Those skilled in the art can selectively set surface smoothness and surface roughness based on the description of this disclosure, as long as the principle of this disclosure can be achieved.

[0025] There are several ways to acquire sidewall surface information. For example, the robot can collect sidewall surface information as it moves on the bottom surface and / or sidewall surface of the pool during previous pool cleaning work; the sidewall surface information can also be pre-stored by the user in the robot's internal memory, and the robot can retrieve the sidewall surface information from the memory; the robot can also download the pool wall surface information from an external storage unit (e.g., a cloud server, a remote server).

[0026] For example, after the robot is activated, it sinks to the bottom of the water, circles around in place, and obtains environmental information of the pool through its own sensors, including side wall surface information of a predetermined area (i.e., the first predetermined area) within the range that its sensors can perceive.

[0027] For example, during the cleaning process, the robot moves on the bottom and side surfaces of the pool and acquires environmental information of the pool through its own sensors, including side surface information of a predetermined area (i.e., the first predetermined area) of the side surface within the range that its sensors can perceive.

[0028] For example, the robot can activate its sensors at any position during the movement, such as the starting position or the middle position, to obtain information about the side wall surface. Alternatively, the robot can activate its sensors at a predetermined time or when it is a predetermined distance from the side wall during the movement to obtain information about the side wall surface, thereby avoiding additional power consumption caused by keeping the sensors on for a long time.

[0029] Those skilled in the art will understand that the methods for obtaining pool wall surface information described above are merely exemplary. Those skilled in the art can choose the appropriate method for obtaining sidewall surface information based on the actual situation, as long as it achieves the principles of this disclosure.

[0030] The following will further explain the method and process of obtaining the sidewall surface information with reference to specific embodiments.

[0031] The first predetermined area is a pre-defined or pre-selected area on the sidewall surface. The first predetermined area can also be a rectangular, circular, or arc-shaped area on the sidewall surface, with the lower edge of the first predetermined area being more than one robot body length away from the bottom surface of the pool. The first predetermined area can also be the entire sidewall surface. It should be understood that the above description of the first predetermined area is merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can selectively set the position, size, etc., of the first predetermined area, as long as the principles of this disclosure are achieved.

[0032] Next, proceed to step S102. In step S102, determine whether the sidewall surface information meets predetermined conditions. If the sidewall surface information meets the predetermined conditions, proceed to step S103. In step S103, when the robot moves to the first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface, control the robot to perform lateral movement within the first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface.

[0033] As described above, the sidewall surface information may include surface smoothness and / or surface roughness. Therefore, the predetermined condition may be, for example, surface smoothness less than or equal to a predetermined smoothness threshold, and / or surface roughness less than or equal to a predetermined roughness threshold.

[0034] In one embodiment, the sidewall surface information satisfying the predetermined condition may be that the sidewall surface flatness is less than or equal to a predetermined flatness threshold, and the surface roughness is less than or equal to a predetermined roughness threshold.

[0035] In another embodiment, the sidewall surface information satisfying the predetermined condition may be either "the sidewall surface flatness is less than or equal to a predetermined flatness threshold" or "the surface roughness is less than or equal to a predetermined roughness threshold".

[0036] If the sidewall surface information meets the predetermined conditions, it means that the surface in the first predetermined area on the sidewall surface meets the requirements for flatness and / or roughness, and the robot can stably adhere to the sidewall surface in the first predetermined area and can perform lateral movement and cleaning in the first predetermined area.

[0037] In step S103, controlling the robot to laterally move in the first predetermined area on the sidewall surface includes: controlling the robot to move a first predetermined distance along a first lateral movement path within the first predetermined area.

[0038] The first lateral movement path can be any of a straight line, a curve, or a broken line. It is acceptable as long as it enables the robot to move from one position on the sidewall surface to another. The position before the lateral movement is different from the position after the lateral movement. The example of the first lateral movement path above is merely an exemplary description; those skilled in the art can select the first lateral movement path according to actual needs, as long as it achieves the principles of this disclosure.

[0039] The first predetermined distance can be one or more body positions of the robot. Those skilled in the art can select the first predetermined distance according to actual needs, as long as the principles of this disclosure are achieved.

[0040] The following is combined with Figure 2 The following provides a detailed description of step S103, "when the robot moves to the first predetermined area on the sidewall surface, control the robot to move laterally in the first predetermined area on the sidewall surface".

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the dashed circle A1 represents the first predetermined area. When the robot moves to the first predetermined area A1 on the sidewall surface (e.g., Figure 2 (As shown in position P4), the robot is controlled to perform lateral movement within the first predetermined region A1 on the sidewall surface. Figure 2As shown, the robot moves a first predetermined distance along a first lateral movement path 9 within the first predetermined area A1 to position P5, where the distance between positions P4 and P5 is, for example, one robot body length. The first lateral movement path 9 is relative to the robot's previous movement path (e.g., ...). Figure 2 The route 8 shown is tilted to the left at a 45-degree angle, thereby achieving lateral displacement (or lateral movement) of the robot on the side wall surface.

[0042] It should be noted that the first lateral movement path 9 and the first predetermined distance of one robot body position described above are exemplary. Those skilled in the art can select the first lateral movement path and the first predetermined distance according to the actual situation, as long as the principle of this disclosure can be achieved. For example, the first lateral movement path can be any path with an inclination greater than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees relative to the previous movement path. As long as the robot deviates or shifts from the previous movement path when moving along the first lateral movement path, it indicates that a lateral movement has been performed. As another example, the first predetermined distance that the robot moves along the first lateral movement path 9 within the first predetermined area A1 can also be three-quarters of the robot body position or half a robot body position, etc., to ensure that the robot's movement path after the lateral movement at least partially overlaps with the adjacent cleaned area, thereby avoiding any areas that are missed during cleaning.

[0043] Before the robot acquires the sidewall surface information, method 100 further includes: controlling the robot to move from a first position sequentially across the bottom surface and the sidewall surface to a second position; and controlling the robot to move from the second position sequentially across the sidewall surface and the bottom surface to a third position, the third position being located on the bottom surface, wherein the robot acquiring the sidewall surface information includes: the robot collecting the sidewall surface information within a first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface during the process of moving from the first position to the third position. Through these operations, the robot achieves movement from the bottom surface of the pool to the sidewall surface (referred to as "going up the wall") and from the sidewall surface to the bottom surface (referred to as "going down the wall"), and collects the sidewall surface information during the process of going up and going down the wall. The following will combine... Figure 2 The process of mounting and dismounting on the wall is described in detail with specific embodiments.

[0044] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a robot's movement trajectory according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. See also Figure 2 The interior of the pool includes a bottom surface B and a sidewall surface A, both of which are rectangular surfaces. As mentioned above, the interior of the pool may also include one or more sidewall surfaces of the same or other shapes, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0045] Figure 2The diagram shows multiple routes marked with arrows, such as route 2, route 3, route 5, route 6, route 7, route 8, route 9, and route 10. These arrowed routes indicate the robot's movement path and direction. It should be noted that, for ease of use... Figure 2 The diagram shows various movement routes and directions of the robot. While many of the arrowed routes are staggered and do not overlap, in reality, some routes do overlap, only the direction of movement differs. For example, route 2 represents the robot moving from position P1 towards the corner during the "climbing" process, and route 6 represents the robot moving from the corner towards position P3 during the "descending" process. P1 and P3 overlap, and routes 2 and 6 overlap, but their directions are opposite. Similarly, route 3 represents the robot moving from the corner towards water level line 4 during the "climbing" process, and route 5 represents the robot moving from water level line 4 towards the corner during the "descending" process. Routes 3 and 5 overlap, but their directions are opposite, indicating that the robot completed cleaning along the same route during both climbing and descending. Likewise, as... Figure 2 As shown, Route 7 overlaps with Route 6, but they are in opposite directions; Route 10 overlaps with Route 12, but they are in opposite directions; Route 13 overlaps with Route 14, but they are in opposite directions. Figure 3 The multiple routes shown with arrows also exist in the above text. Figure 2 The situation described in the text will not be repeated here.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the first position P1 is located on the bottom surface B of the pool. This first position can be the initial position from which the robot begins its cleaning operation from the bottom surface B of the pool. Alternatively, it can be the position where the robot contacts the bottom surface B of the pool immediately after it enters the water. Finally, it can be a suitable cleaning position selected by the robot after it has moved underwater.

[0047] For example, after receiving a cleaning instruction for the pool wall, the robot can first rotate once in place on the bottom surface B (e.g., ...). Figure 2 As shown in route 1), after rotating once, the robot can find the nearest side wall and record the direction angle through the direction sensor, and then move towards the nearest wall.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the second position P2 is located on the sidewall surface A. Figure 2The second position P2 shown is near the water level line 4. This second position can also be the top of the sidewall surface A. Alternatively, it can be a position at a certain distance (e.g., 10-20 cm) from the top of the sidewall surface A to facilitate robot orientation changes. Furthermore, the second position can be a position beyond the water level line 4 by a predetermined distance (e.g., 10-30 cm) to ensure the robot can clean the sidewall surface above and near the water level line.

[0049] In one embodiment, as the robot moves sequentially from the first position across the bottom surface B and the side wall surface A, it can be determined whether the front of the robot emerges from the water. If the front of the robot emerges from the water, then the position of the robot can be used as the second position. Figure 2 As shown, when the robot moves along route 3 to position P2 near water level 4, the front of the robot emerges from the water surface. The sensors carried by the robot (such as the pressure sensor installed at the front of the robot) detect a decrease in the external pressure value (such as changing from water pressure to air pressure). Then the robot takes position P2 as the second position.

[0050] In another embodiment, the selection of the second position or the length of the route 3 can be determined based on the length or time of the previous movement trajectory on the sidewall surface A.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, the third position P3 is located on the bottom surface B. This third position can be the robot's initial position at the bottom of the pool. This third position overlaps with the first position, meaning that after the robot descends the wall, it can return to its initial position. Alternatively, the third position can be a location on the bottom surface B at a predetermined distance from the side wall surface A, such as 10-20 centimeters from a corner.

[0052] In one embodiment, the robot's movement from the first position P1 to the second position P2 is forward movement, i.e. Figure 2 Route 2 and route 3 shown are forward; the robot moving from the second position P2 to the third position P3 is backward, i.e. Figure 2 The routes 5 and 6 shown are backward. In another embodiment, the robot can make a 180-degree turn in place at the second position, thus maintaining forward movement along routes 5 and 6.

[0053] The robot can move while simultaneously collecting and acquiring information about the sidewall surface. For example... Figure 2As shown, during the robot's movement from the first position P1 to the second position P2, and then to the third position P3, it collects sidewall surface information of a predetermined area (e.g., the first predetermined area A1) of the sidewall surface in some or all stages of routes 2, 3, 5, and 6. Alternatively, the robot may acquire sidewall surface information only at predetermined positions; for example, it may collect and acquire sidewall surface information only at one or more of the first position P1, second position P2, and third position P3. Acquiring sidewall surface information only in certain stages or only at predetermined positions reduces the power consumption of sensors and processors, thereby saving power.

[0054] In one embodiment, before the robot acquires the sidewall surface information, method 100 further includes: controlling the robot to move from a first position sequentially through the bottom surface B and the sidewall surface A to a fourth position, wherein the fourth position is located within the first predetermined area A1 of the sidewall surface, wherein the robot acquiring the sidewall surface information includes: the robot collecting the sidewall surface information within the first predetermined area A1 of the sidewall surface during the process of moving from the first position to the fourth position.

[0055] by Figure 2 For example, the first position P1 has already been described above and will not be repeated here. The fourth position P4 is located within the first predetermined area A1 of the sidewall surface A. The fourth position P4 can be closer to the bottom of the pool than the second position P2 corresponding to the waterline 4. The robot starts from the first position P1 and sequentially travels along route 7 on the bottom surface B and route 8 on the sidewall surface A to reach the fourth position P4. The robot can collect the sidewall surface information within the first predetermined area A1 of the sidewall surface during its movement from the first position P1 to the fourth position P4. In other words, the robot can collect the sidewall surface information of the first predetermined area during its movement along routes 7 and 8. It should be noted that the description of the fourth position above does not imply that there must be two positions P2 and P3 before the fourth position simply because it uses the number "P4" as an example. The robot's movement route can be P1→P2→P3→P4 (i.e., the robot first completes the first wall climb and the first wall descent, and then collects the sidewall surface information during the second wall climb), or it can be P1→P4 (i.e., the robot collects the sidewall surface information during the first wall climb). Understandably, in order to collect more accurate and comprehensive information about the sidewall surface, information about the sidewall surface can be continuously collected in part or all of the path during the robot's movement along P1→P2→P3→P4.

[0056] As described above, for the purpose of saving power, the robot may also collect the sidewall surface information only on a portion of route 7 and / or a portion of route 8. In other words, the robot may only collect the sidewall surface information on the portion of the route it moves along P1→P4.

[0057] In one embodiment, the fourth position P4 can be selected based on the current water depth and the robot's distance from the water surface. For example, when the water is deep or the distance from the water surface is large, the distance of the fourth position from the bottom surface B can be relatively large; when the water is shallow or the distance from the water surface is small, the distance of the fourth position from the bottom surface B can be relatively small, thereby ensuring that the robot has sufficient space to move laterally on the side wall surface before reaching the water level.

[0058] The step S103 of controlling the robot to move laterally in the first predetermined area on the sidewall surface includes: controlling the robot to move from the fourth position to the fifth position within the first predetermined area, wherein the distance from the fifth position to the bottom surface is greater than the distance from the fourth position to the bottom surface.

[0059] by Figure 2 For example, the robot can be controlled to move from the fourth position P4 within the first predetermined area A1 to the fifth position P5. The distance from the fifth position P5 to the bottom surface B is greater than the distance from the fourth position P4 to the bottom surface B. In other words, the lateral movement of the robot on the side wall surface B can be either moving directly above the pool or moving diagonally upwards. Such movement can be a straight line, a curve, or a broken line.

[0060] In one embodiment, the distance from the fourth position P4 to the bottom surface B is 0-40cm, and the distance from the fifth position P5 to the bottom surface B is 40-80cm.

[0061] In one embodiment, after the robot laterally moves from the fourth position P4 to the fifth position P5, it can move towards the waterline. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the robot moves from the fourth position P4 along route 10 towards the water level line 11 until it reaches the sixth position P6. The sixth position P6 is located near the water level line, and preferably, the sixth position P6 is above the water level line at a predetermined height.

[0062] In one embodiment, the length of route 10 or the sixth position can be determined based on water emergence detection. For example, during the process from the fifth position P5 to the sixth position P6, the robot can determine whether the front of the robot emerges from the water. If the front of the robot emerges from the water, then the position of the robot can be taken as the sixth position P6.

[0063] In one embodiment, the robot may also calculate the length of route 10 or the sixth position based on the length of the previous travel trajectory (e.g., the first time it climbed the wall) or the travel time.

[0064] See Figure 2 The robot's movement along routes 1 to 18 is roughly as follows: On route 1, the robot rotates in place to select a position to climb onto the wall. It then moves along route 2 to a corner for cleaning. Along route 3, it adheres to the pool sidewall surface and cleans the pool wall. Upon reaching the waterline 4, it cleans the waterline. After cleaning the waterline, it retreats along route 5 to the pool bottom. It continues along route 6 to a predetermined position on the pool bottom, completing one climb and one descent. Then, it continues along route 7 towards a pool corner for cleaning. After climbing onto the wall, it moves along route 8 to the fourth position P4. The robot then moves laterally along route 9 to the fifth position P5. It then moves along route 10 towards the waterline and cleans the waterline at the sixth position P6. The robot then repeats the climbing and lateral movement process described above. Afterward, the robot moves along route 12 towards the bottom corner of the pool and cleans the corner area. After descending from the wall, it moves along route 13 along the bottom surface. During any or all stages of routes 7-13, information about a predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface can be collected in real time, such as the sidewall surface information within another first predetermined area A2. It is determined whether the sidewall surface information of the other first predetermined area A2 meets predetermined conditions. If the sidewall surface information of the first predetermined area A2 meets the predetermined conditions, the robot moves laterally along route 16 when passing through the first predetermined area A2, and after the lateral movement is completed, moves along route 17 towards the waterline to continue cleaning sidewall surface A. This process continues in this manner.

[0065] When the flatness of the pool sidewall meets the requirements, the robot is controlled to move laterally on the sidewall to thoroughly clean the pool wall. Since the flatness of the pool wall meets the requirements, the robot will not get stuck or fall off.

[0066] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the sidewall surface information may not meet the predetermined conditions. That is, when the flatness of the sidewall surface is greater than a predetermined flatness threshold, and / or the surface roughness is greater than a predetermined roughness threshold, it can be determined that the sidewall surface is not a flat surface. For example, it may contain objects such as wall lamps, water inlets and outlets, escalators, steps, or other irregularly shaped structures.

[0067] If the sidewall surface information does not meet the predetermined conditions, the robot is controlled to move laterally along a second lateral movement path on the bottom surface. The second lateral movement path is located on the bottom surface B of the pool. That is, when the pool wall is uneven, the pool robot can move laterally on the bottom of the pool. Moving laterally along the second lateral movement path on the bottom of the pool can avoid wall lights, inlets and outlets, ladders, steps, or other irregularly shaped objects on the pool wall, thereby preventing the robot from getting stuck at these obstacles or falling off the pool wall due to obstruction.

[0068] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a robot's movement trajectory according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Figure 3 In this process, the robot moves laterally along a second lateral movement path on the bottom surface. The robot can acquire bottom surface information of a second predetermined area A3, A4 on the bottom surface B, and determine the second lateral movement path based on this information. The method, timing, or location for acquiring the bottom surface information of the second predetermined area A3, A4 is the same as or similar to the method, timing, or location for acquiring the sidewall surface information of the first predetermined area A1, A2. For example, the robot can acquire the bottom surface information in advance, or the bottom surface information can be collected by the robot during movement, or it can be information pre-input by the user. For example, see... Figure 3 The bottom surface information can be acquired by the robot as it moves along route 1 → route 2 → route 3 → route 4. At the latest, the robot can determine a second lateral movement route 5 at the end of route 4 based on the acquired bottom surface information. The determined second lateral movement route 5 can avoid the various irregular structures or obstacles on the pool bottom mentioned above.

[0069] The second lateral movement path can be of various types. For example, the robot can move laterally to the left of the pool at a 90-degree angle relative to the previous path (i.e., path 4). This disclosure is not limited to this; the lateral movement path can be any angle in which the robot moves at an inclination greater than 0 and less than 180 degrees relative to the previous path. As long as the robot deflects or shifts during its movement, it indicates that a lateral movement has occurred. Furthermore, lateral movement can be performed in any of the following ways: a straight line, a curve, or a broken line.

[0070] In one embodiment, Figure 3 Route 1, Route 7, and Route 13 indicate that the robot moves from surface A of the pool side wall towards the waterline. Route 2 and Route 8 indicate that the robot cleans the waterline. Route 3, Route 9, etc., indicate that the robot moves backward from the waterline to the bottom of the pool (or moves forward to the bottom of the pool after making a 180-degree turn). Route 4, Route 6, Route 10, and Route 12 indicate that the robot moves back and forth to clean the corner of the bottom surface B.

[0071] See Figure 3The robot's movement from route 1 to route 12 is roughly as follows: After climbing the wall, the robot travels along route 1 on sidewall surface A to the vicinity of waterline 2, then changes direction, returns to the corner via route 3, and after descending the wall, cleans the area near the corner via route 4. It then determines whether the sidewall surface information within the first predetermined area meets predetermined conditions. If not, it proceeds as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the second lateral movement route 5 is determined based on the bottom surface information of the second predetermined area A3. After traversing the second lateral movement route 5, the robot continues to move towards the corner of the pool via route 6, cleaning the corner area. After climbing the wall, it reaches the vicinity of the waterline 8 via route 7 on the sidewall surface A, then changes direction and returns to the corner via route 9. After descending the wall, it cleans the area near the corner via route 10, and so on. If it is determined whether the sidewall surface information in the first predetermined area meets the predetermined conditions, the robot will complete the above-mentioned steps. Figure 2 The lateral displacement of the sidewall surface described herein will not be elaborated upon here.

[0072] The method for controlling robot movement in this invention selects between lateral movement on the side wall surface and lateral movement on the bottom surface of the pool based on the detection results of irregular structures on the pool wall. This effectively avoids obstacles on the pool wall, preventing the robot from getting stuck or falling off the pool wall. At the same time, it can also thoroughly clean areas such as the pool walls, corners, and water level lines, leaving no cleaning dead spots, and greatly improving the intelligence and cleaning effect of the pool robot.

[0073] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a robot is also provided. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a robot structure according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, see below. Figure 4 The robot 400 includes a memory 410 and a processor 420. The memory 410 stores computer program instructions, and the processor 420 executes the aforementioned method for controlling the robot's movement when processing the program instructions. Furthermore, the robot may also include components such as a distance sensor and a camera to collect contour information and size information of surrounding objects. Based on the contour information and size information, it determines the flatness or roughness information of the side wall surface of the pool-shaped building, thereby selecting a cleaning path. In this embodiment, the robot is only one example; it could also be other intelligent devices, smart mobile terminals, automated equipment, etc.

[0074] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a computer storage medium is also provided, wherein a computer program is stored therein, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the aforementioned method for controlling the movement of a robot.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications, combinations, partial combinations, and substitutions may be made to this disclosure depending on design requirements and other factors, provided that they are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the movement of a robot for cleaning within a pool-shaped building, the pool-shaped building having a bottom surface and sidewall surfaces, the method comprising: The robot acquires sidewall surface information within a first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface; Determine whether the sidewall surface information meets predetermined conditions, wherein, If the sidewall surface information satisfies the predetermined conditions, then when the robot moves to the first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface, the robot is controlled to perform lateral movement in the first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The control of the robot to lateralize in the first predetermined area on the sidewall surface includes: controlling the robot to move a first predetermined distance along a first lateral movement path within the first predetermined area.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before the robot acquires the sidewall surface information, the method further includes: Control the robot to move from a first position, sequentially across the bottom surface and sidewall surface, to a second position; and The robot is controlled to move from the second position, sequentially across the side wall surface and the bottom surface, to a third position located on the bottom surface. The robot acquiring the sidewall surface information includes: the robot collecting the sidewall surface information within the first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface during the process of moving from the first position to the third position.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before the robot acquires the sidewall surface information, the method further includes: The robot is controlled to move from a first position, sequentially across the bottom surface and the side wall surface, to a fourth position, wherein the fourth position is located within the first predetermined area on the side wall surface. The robot acquiring the sidewall surface information includes: the robot collecting the sidewall surface information within the first predetermined area of ​​the sidewall surface during the process of moving from the first position to the fourth position.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The control of the robot to move laterally in the first predetermined area on the sidewall surface includes: controlling the robot to move from the fourth position to the fifth position within the first predetermined area, wherein the distance from the fifth position to the bottom surface is greater than the distance from the fourth position to the bottom surface.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The sidewall surface information includes surface flatness or surface roughness, wherein the predetermined condition is that the surface flatness is less than or equal to a predetermined flatness threshold, or the surface roughness is less than or equal to a predetermined roughness threshold.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, If the sidewall surface information does not meet the predetermined conditions, the robot is controlled to move laterally along the second lateral movement path on the bottom surface.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The second lateral movement path is one of a straight line, a curve, or a broken line.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: The robot acquires bottom surface information of a second predetermined area on its bottom surface and determines the second lateral movement path based on the bottom surface information.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The first position is the initial position from which the robot begins its cleaning operation from the bottom surface.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The robot's movement from the first position to the second position is forward, and the robot's movement from the second position to the third position is backward.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The distance from the fourth position to the bottom surface is 0-40cm.

13. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: The fourth position is selected based on the current water depth and the robot's distance from the water surface.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The first predetermined distance is one fuselage position.

15. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The third position overlaps with the first position.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein, As the robot moves sequentially across the bottom surface and sidewall surface from the first position, it is determined whether the front of the robot emerges from the water surface. If the front of the robot emerges from the water surface, the position of the robot is taken as the second position.

17. A computer storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the method of any one of claims 1-16.

18. A robot comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores computer program instructions, and the processor, when processing the program instructions, performs the method according to any one of claims 1-16.

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