Household multifunctional cleaning robot
This home cleaning robot, with its biomimetic skeleton and multifunctional design, solves the problem of existing cleaning robots struggling to enter narrow or irregularly shaped areas. It achieves flexible movement and multifunctional cleaning, especially effective cleaning of hard-to-reach corners and sterilization and insect control.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHEJIANG SCI-TECH UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing household cleaning robots struggle to effectively clean narrow or irregularly shaped areas, and their limited functionality makes it difficult to solve the problem of dust residue in hard-to-reach corners.
Adopting a biomimetic skeleton design, combined with a vision device, soft tentacles, biomimetic feet, omnidirectional wheels, and a drug storage and dispensing device, the robot can move flexibly and position itself precisely in complex environments, and achieve multi-functional cleaning through a compartmentalized medicine box and a rotary conveyor mechanism.
It improves the robot's terrain adaptability and movement flexibility, effectively cleans narrow or irregularly shaped areas, solves the problem of dust residue in dead corners, and expands the sterilization and insecticidal functions.
Smart Images
Figure CN121890903A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of robotics, specifically relating to a multi-functional household cleaning robot. Background Technology
[0002] Currently, most common household cleaning robots on the market are robotic vacuum cleaners, which have relatively simple functions, fixed cleaning modes, and very limited working space. Due to limitations in chassis height and obstacle avoidance strategies, these devices are not only easily jammed or trapped by cables and debris scattered on the floor, but also have difficulty effectively entering narrow or irregularly shaped areas such as under sofas, beds, and corners to perform cleaning operations, resulting in significant problems with dust residue remaining in hard-to-reach areas.
[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a household cleaning robot that is compact in structure, flexible in movement, and highly integrated in function. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the above-mentioned background technology and provide a multi-functional household cleaning robot that can effectively enter and clean narrow or irregularly shaped areas in the home, thereby achieving cleaning, obstacle crossing, sterilization and insect killing functions.
[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: A multi-functional household cleaning robot is characterized by comprising a bionic skeleton, a vision device, two soft tentacles, several bionic feet, several omnidirectional wheels, and a drug storage and dispensing device mounted on the bionic skeleton. The bionic skeleton includes three joints; the second joint is connected to the first and third joints at both ends along its length via universal joints; the vision device includes two cameras mounted on the end of the first joint facing away from the second joint; the plurality of bionic feet are respectively mounted on both ends of the width of the first and third joints, and each is equipped with a driving motor; the two soft tentacles are mounted on the side of the second joint near the first joint, and each is equipped with a compressed air pump; the plurality of omnidirectional wheels are mounted on the bottom center of the first and third joints, and are also equipped with driving motors; the drug storage and delivery device is disposed inside the second joint; The vision device, omnidirectional wheel, all servos, and all motors are connected to the controller via signal lines.
[0006] The bionic foot includes a first dual-axis servo and a second dual-axis servo. Two first dual-axis servos are installed on both sides of the width direction of the first joint and on both sides of the width direction of the third joint, respectively, for driving the bionic foot to rotate around a vertical axis. The drive shaft of the first dual-axis servo is arranged vertically and fixedly connected to a servo connecting frame of a housing structure to transmit rotational motion through the servo connecting frame. The second dual-axis servo is installed in the servo connecting frame and drives the bionic foot to rotate around a horizontal axis through the leg assembly. It works in cooperation with the first dual-axis servo to achieve the position and posture control of the bionic foot.
[0007] In the outrigger assembly, one end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the top of the servo motor connecting frame via a horizontally arranged first cylindrical pin, and the other end is hinged to the support leg via a horizontally arranged second cylindrical pin; the two axes of the second dual-axis servo motor are arranged horizontally and extend outward through the openings at the bottom of the servo motor connecting frame, one end of each of the two second connecting rods is fixedly connected to the two axes of the second dual-axis servo motor, and the other ends are hinged to the support leg via a horizontally arranged third cylindrical pin.
[0008] The first motors for driving the two omnidirectional wheels are fixedly installed in the grooves at the bottom center of the first and third joints through the first motor connectors. An omnidirectional wheel mounting slot is opened on both sides of the groove, and the two omnidirectional wheels are embedded in the two omnidirectional wheel mounting slots. The motor shafts of the two first motors are connected to the two omnidirectional wheels.
[0009] The second joint is connected to the universal joint. Each side of the second joint is provided with a soft tentacle mounting seat for installing soft tentacles. A miniature air pump fixing component is provided at the corresponding position inside the second joint. The two miniature air pumps are fixed to the soft tentacle mounting seats through the miniature air pump fixing components and are used to drive the soft tentacles to perform extension, retraction and bending movements.
[0010] In the drug storage and dispensing device, the inside of the drug storage box is divided into a first drug storage area and a second drug storage area, which are independent of each other, so as to store two different drugs at the same time; a conveying cylinder for conveying drugs is horizontally arranged on both sides of the lower part of the drug storage box, and a swivel shaft with helical blades is installed inside the conveying cylinder.
[0011] One end of the rotary blade shaft extends into the shaft hole inside the corresponding storage area, and the other end is connected to the motor shaft of the second drive motor located inside the second joint via a coupling; the bottom end of the second joint is respectively provided with a single-point delivery port with a single larger hole and a multi-point delivery port with multiple smaller holes, and the bottom ends of the two conveying cylinders are respectively provided with openings for aligning with the single-point delivery port and the multi-point delivery port.
[0012] The upper and lower surfaces of the bionic skeleton are covered with an upper soft shell and a lower soft shell, respectively.
[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. This invention has the dual functions of rapid movement on flat ground and obstacle avoidance in complex environments, which significantly improves the terrain adaptability and movement flexibility of the household cleaning robot.
[0014] 2. This invention, through the design of a compartmentalized medicine box and a rotary conveyor mechanism, enables the independent storage and selective delivery of two different agents, thus expanding the robot's sterilization and insecticidal functions.
[0015] 3. This invention utilizes the reciprocating motion of soft tentacles curling and extending, combined with precise positioning from a vision device and posture adjustment from bionic feet, to effectively enter and clean narrow or irregularly shaped areas such as the bottom of sofas and corners, solving the problem of residual dust in dead corners that traditional robot vacuums struggle to reach. Attached Figure Description
[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top-view schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the biomimetic skeleton.
[0018] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the bionic skeleton from an upward view (omnidirectional wheels are omitted in the figure).
[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a soft tentacle.
[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram (section view) of the three-dimensional structure of the bionic foot.
[0021] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a Chinese medicine storage and dispensing device.
[0022] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A top-view structural diagram of a Chinese medicine storage and dispensing device.
[0023] In the diagram: 1-Bionic skeleton; 1.1-Vision device; 1.2-First joint; 1.3-Second joint; 1.4-Third joint; 1.5-Bionic foot connecting slot; 1.6-Universal joint; 1.7-Soft tentacle connecting seat; 1.8-Miniature air pump; 1.9-Battery; 1.10-Battery fixing component; 1.11-First motor connecting component; 1.12 First motor; 1.13-Miniature air pump fixing component; 1.14-Omnidirectional wheel mounting slot; 2-Soft tentacle; 3-Bionic foot; 3.1-First dual-axis servo motor; 3.2-Servo motor connecting frame; 3.3-Second dual-axis Servo motor; 3.4-First connecting rod; 3.5-Second connecting rod; 3.6-Support leg; 3.7-First cylindrical pin; 3.8-Second cylindrical pin; 3.9-Third cylindrical pin; 4-Omnidirectional wheel; 5-Upper soft shell; 6-Lower soft shell; 7-Drug storage and dispensing device; 7.1-Drug storage box flip cover; 7.2-Drug storage box; 7.3-First drug storage area; 7.4-Second drug storage area; 7.5-Rotator shaft; 7.6-Coupling; 7.7-Second drive motor; 7.8-Single-point dispensing port; 7.9-Multi-point dispensing port; 8-Tail vacuum cleaner. Detailed Implementation
[0024] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
[0025] Figure 1 The illustrated multi-functional household cleaning robot includes a bionic skeleton 1, soft tentacles 2, bionic feet 3, omnidirectional wheels 4, an upper soft shell, a drug storage and dispensing device 7, and a tail vacuum cleaner 8. The bionic skeleton 1 is composed of three joints connected in sequence. A soft tentacle 2 is connected to each side of the middle joint for reaching into narrow, hard-to-reach areas to perform dust cleaning. Two pairs of bionic feet 3 are installed on each side of the width direction of the head and tail joints for obstacle crossing and posture adjustment. Two omnidirectional wheels 4 are installed at the bottom of the head and tail joints to enable rapid movement on flat surfaces. To expand the sterilization and disinfection function, a drug storage and dispensing device 7 is installed inside the middle joint of the bionic skeleton 1, which can store two different agents simultaneously and dispense them in single points or in large quantities. To protect the bionic skeleton 1 and reduce the impact on the joints, its upper and lower surfaces are covered with an upper soft shell 5 and a lower soft shell 6, respectively.
[0026] like Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, the bionic skeleton 1 includes a first joint 1.2, a second joint 1.3, a third joint 1.4, a bionic foot connecting groove 1.5, and a universal joint 1.6; the bionic skeleton is equipped with a soft tentacle connecting seat 1.7, a micro air pump 1.8, a battery 1.9, a battery fixing component 1.10, a first motor connecting component 1.11, a first drive motor 1.12, and a micro air pump fixing component 1.13. As shown in the figure, the three joints are connected in sequence. One end of the first joint 1.2 in the length direction is connected to the second joint 1.3 through a universal joint 1.6, and the other end serves as the front end of the robot, where a vision device 1.1 is installed. This device contains two cameras for the robot to recognize its environment and locate itself precisely. Each end of the first joint 1.2 in the width direction has two bionic foot connecting grooves 1.5. The groove at the bottom center of the first joint 1.2 is fixedly installed with two first motors 1.12 for driving two omnidirectional wheels 4 through a first motor connector 1.11. An omnidirectional wheel mounting groove 1.14 is opened on both sides of the groove, and the two omnidirectional wheels are embedded in the two omnidirectional wheel mounting grooves. The motor shafts of the two first motors are connected to the two omnidirectional wheels. Two soft tentacle connectors 1.7 are installed on the side of the second joint 1.3 near the first joint 1.2 (one soft tentacle connector is installed on each of the left and right sides of the universal joint 1.6). A miniature air pump fixing component 1.13 is installed at a corresponding position inside the second joint. The miniature air pump 1.8 is fixed to the soft tentacle connector 1.7 by the miniature air pump fixing component 1.13 and is used to drive the soft tentacle 2 to perform extension, retraction, and bending movements. The two soft tentacles 2 are respectively installed on a soft tentacle connector. The two ends of the second joint 1.3 in the length direction are connected to the first joint 1.2 and the third joint 1.4 respectively through a universal joint 1.6, forming the main frame of the bionic skeleton. The third joint 1.4 has two bionic foot connecting grooves 1.5 at each end in the width direction. Similar to the first joint, a groove is also provided at the center of the bottom of the third joint, in which two first motors are installed. An omnidirectional wheel mounting groove is provided on each side of the groove, and the two omnidirectional wheels are embedded in the omnidirectional wheel mounting groove. The motor shafts of the two first motors are connected to the two omnidirectional wheels. In addition, a battery 1.9 is mounted on the center of the upper surface of the first joint 1.2 and the third joint 1.4 via a battery fastener 1.10 to power the whole machine.
[0027] like Figure 4As shown, the soft tentacle 2 is a cylindrical soft shell made of silicone material (available for purchase). One end is connected to a micro air pump, and the other end is suspended, using air-driven motion. Inside, there is a cylindrical gas channel at the center, connected to the air outlet of the micro air pump 1.8. The external structure of the channel is asymmetrical: one side is a completely filled solid structure, while the other side has 40 independent hollow cavities evenly spaced along its length. When compressed air is introduced into the cavities, the cavities expand, forcing the soft tentacle 2 to extend and bend towards the fully filled side, reaching a maximum length of 2.5 times its original length and a maximum bending angle of 120°. The outer surface of the soft tentacle 2 is covered with Si-TPV thermoplastic elastomer, a material that combines a soft touch, high adhesion, and easy cleaning properties, effectively adhering to and removing dust and debris from hard-to-reach areas without affecting the tentacle's flexibility.
[0028] like Figure 5 As shown, the bionic foot 3 includes a first dual-axis servo motor 3.1, a servo motor connecting frame 3.2, a second dual-axis servo motor 3.3, a first connecting rod 3.4, a second connecting rod 3.5, a support leg 3.6, a first cylindrical pin 3.7, and a second cylindrical pin 3.8. Two pairs of bionic feet are installed on each side of the width direction of the first joint, and two pairs of bionic feet are also installed on each side of the width direction of the third joint. Each pair of bionic feet includes a first dual-axis servo motor 3.1 and a second dual-axis servo motor 3.3.
[0029] Two first dual-axis servos 3.1 are mounted on both sides of the width direction of the first joint and on both sides of the width direction of the third joint, respectively, to drive the bionic foot 3 to rotate in a plane parallel to the ground. The two axes of the first dual-axis servos 3.1 are arranged vertically and are fixedly connected to a servo connecting frame 3.2 of a housing structure to transmit rotational motion about the vertical axis through the servo connecting frame. The second dual-axis servo 3.3 is installed inside the servo connecting frame 3.2 and drives the bionic foot 3 to rotate about the horizontal axis through the leg assembly, thus jointly realizing the position and posture control of the bionic foot 3. In the leg assembly, one end of the first connecting rod 3.4 is hinged to the top of the servo connecting frame 3.2 through a horizontally arranged first cylindrical pin 3.7, and the other end is hinged to the support leg 3.6 through a horizontally arranged second cylindrical pin 3.8. The second dual-axis servo motor 3.3 has two horizontally arranged axes, each extending outward through an opening at the bottom of the servo motor connecting bracket. One end of each of the two second connecting rods 3.5 is fixedly connected to the two axes of the second dual-axis servo motor 3.3, and the other end is hinged to the support leg 3.6 via a horizontally arranged third cylindrical pin 3.9. The second cylindrical pin 3.8 and the third cylindrical pin 3.9 are arranged at a distance from each other.
[0030] like Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the drug storage and dispensing device 7 includes a drug storage box cover 7.1, a drug storage box 7.2, a first drug storage area 7.3, a second drug storage area 7.4, a rotary blade 7.5, a coupling 7.6, a drive motor 7.7, a single-point dispensing port 7.8, and a multi-point dispensing port 7.9. The drug storage and dispensing device 7 is integrally housed within the second joint of the bionic skeleton 1, and is sealed by closing the drug storage box cover 7.1. The drug storage box 7.2 is internally divided into two independent drug storage areas 7.3 and 7.4, allowing for the simultaneous storage of two different drugs. A conveying cylinder is horizontally arranged on each side of the lower part of the drug storage box 7.2, and each conveying cylinder contains a rotary blade shaft 7.5 with helical blades. One end of the rotary blade shaft 7.5 extends into a shaft hole inside the corresponding storage area, and the other end is connected to the motor shaft of the second drive motor 7.7 via the coupling 7.6. The second motor is also located in the second joint. Inside; the bottom of the second joint is respectively provided with a single-point dispensing port 7.8 with a single large hole and a multi-point dispensing port 7.9 with multiple smaller holes. The bottom of the two conveying cylinders is respectively provided with openings for aligning with the single-point dispensing port 7.8 and the multi-point dispensing port; the drug in the first drug storage area 7.3 is conveyed to the single-point dispensing port 7.8 through the rotating blade 7.5, which is suitable for precise and small-volume dispensing of drugs with larger particles and stronger effects; the drug in the second drug storage area 7.4 is conveyed to the multi-point dispensing port 7.9 through the rotating blade 7.5, which is suitable for large-area and rapid dispensing of drugs with smaller particles and weaker effects.
[0031] The vision device 1.1, omnidirectional wheel 4, all servo motors and all motors are connected to the controller (purchased equipment) via signal lines and are operated and controlled by the controller.
[0032] In specific implementation, when the invention is in its initial state, the central axes of all joints and joint connectors of the bionic skeleton 1 are collinear and parallel to the ground; the bionic feet 3 are raised in a direction perpendicular to the ground and do not contact the ground; the robot is supported by omnidirectional wheels 4; the soft tentacles 2 are in an extended state; and the drug storage and delivery device 7 remains sealed.
[0033] When the invention is in operation, it performs corresponding functions according to the work scenario. The vision device 1.1 and the omnidirectional wheel 4 work together. When encountering obstacles, the bionic foot 3 is activated, driving the first dual-axis servo motor 3.1 and the second dual-axis servo motor 3.3 to control the movement of the support leg 3.6, achieving obstacle crossing and posture adjustment. When performing cleaning work in blind spots, the vision device 1.1, the soft tentacle 2, the bionic foot 3, and the omnidirectional wheel 4 work together. The vision device 1.1 locks the blind spot position, the first drive motor 1.12 drives the omnidirectional wheel 4, enabling the robot to quickly approach the target area, and the bionic foot 3 adjusts... The robot is positioned so that the soft tentacle 2 faces the blind spot. Then, the micro air pump 1.8 is activated, and air pressure is input into the internal cavity of the soft tentacle 2, causing it to expand and bend towards the blind spot. Then, the air is released and it retracts, repeating the reciprocating wiping action to complete the cleaning of the blind spot. When performing sterilization and insecticidal work, the flip cover 7.1 of the drug storage box needs to be opened manually, the drug storage box 7.2 is poured into the drug storage box, and then the flip cover is closed. With the coordinated cooperation of the vision device 1.1, the bionic legs 3 and the omnidirectional wheels 4, the robot moves to the target area, and then drives the vane 7.5 to realize single-point or multi-point drug delivery.
Claims
1. A multi-functional household cleaning robot, characterized in that: It includes a bionic skeleton (1), a visual device (1.1), two soft tentacles (2), several bionic feet (3), several omnidirectional wheels (4), and a drug storage and delivery device (7) mounted on the bionic skeleton. The bionic skeleton includes three joints; the second joint (1.3) is connected to the first joint (1.2) and the third joint (1.4) at both ends of its length direction via universal joints (1.6); the visual device includes two cameras installed on the end of the first joint facing away from the second joint; the plurality of bionic feet are respectively installed at both ends of the width direction of the first joint and the third joint, and each is equipped with a driving motor; the two soft tentacles are installed on the side of the second joint near the first joint, and each is equipped with a compressed air pump; the plurality of omnidirectional wheels are installed at the center of the bottom of the first joint and the third joint, and are also equipped with driving motors; the drug storage and delivery device is disposed inside the second joint; The vision device, omnidirectional wheel, all servos, and all motors are connected to the controller via signal lines.
2. The household multi-functional cleaning robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bionic foot (3) includes a first dual-axis servo motor (3.1) and a second dual-axis servo motor (3.3). Two of the first dual-axis servo motors are installed on both sides of the width direction of the first joint and on both sides of the width direction of the third joint, respectively, for driving the bionic foot to rotate around the vertical axis. The drive shaft of the first dual-axis servo motor is arranged vertically and fixedly connected to a servo motor connecting frame (3.2) of a housing structure, so as to transmit rotational motion through the servo motor connecting frame. The second dual-axis servo motor is installed in the servo motor connecting frame, drives the bionic foot to rotate around the horizontal axis through the leg assembly, and works in cooperation with the first dual-axis servo motor to jointly realize the position and posture control of the bionic foot.
3. The household multi-functional cleaning robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: In the outrigger assembly, one end of the first connecting rod (3.4) is hinged to the top of the servo motor connecting frame via a horizontally arranged first cylindrical pin (3.7), and the other end is hinged to the support leg via a horizontally arranged second cylindrical pin (3.8); the two axes of the second dual-axis servo motor (3.3) are arranged horizontally and extend outward through the openings at the bottom of the servo motor connecting frame, one end of each of the two second connecting rods (3.5) is fixedly connected to the two axes of the second dual-axis servo motor, and the other end is hinged to the support leg via a horizontally arranged third cylindrical pin (3.9).
4. The household multi-functional cleaning robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first joint and the third joint are respectively fixedly mounted with a first motor (1.12) for driving two omnidirectional wheels through a first motor connector (1.11) at the bottom center of the groove; an omnidirectional wheel mounting groove (1.14) is opened on both sides of the groove, and the two omnidirectional wheels are embedded in the two omnidirectional wheel mounting grooves; the motor shafts of the two first motors are connected to the two omnidirectional wheels.
5. The household multi-functional cleaning robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second joint is connected to a universal joint (1.6) with a soft tentacle connector (1.7) on each side for mounting soft tentacles. A miniature air pump fixing component (1.13) is provided at the corresponding position inside the second joint. Two miniature air pumps (1.8) are fixed to the soft tentacle connector 1.7 through the miniature air pump fixing component, and are used to drive the soft tentacles to perform extension, retraction and bending movements.
6. The household multi-functional cleaning robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the drug storage and delivery device, the drug storage box (7.2) is divided into a first drug storage area (7.3) and a second drug storage area (7.4) that are independent of each other, so as to store two different drugs at the same time; a conveying cylinder for conveying drugs is horizontally arranged on both sides of the lower part of the drug storage box, and a spiral blade shaft (7.5) with spiral blades is installed inside the conveying cylinder.
7. The household multi-functional cleaning robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: One end of the rotary blade shaft extends into the shaft hole inside the corresponding storage area, and the other end is connected to the motor shaft of the second drive motor (7.7) located inside the second joint via a coupling (7.6); the bottom end of the second joint is respectively provided with a single-point delivery port (7.8) with a single larger hole and a multi-point delivery port (7.9) with multiple smaller holes, and the bottom ends of the two conveying cylinders are respectively provided with openings aligned with the single-point delivery port and the multi-point delivery port.
8. The household multi-functional cleaning robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The upper and lower surfaces of the bionic skeleton are covered with an upper soft shell (5) and a lower soft shell (6), respectively.