An intelligent, automatic laundry management system and method

Abstract

The application discloses an intelligent automatic laundry, drying and clothes collecting management system and method, which comprises a laundry area for receiving and automatically washing clothes, a drying area for hanging and drying clothes, a storage area for storing the processed clothes, and a transmission area for transferring clothes between the areas; and a control center in communication connection with the laundry area, the drying area and the transmission area. Through the cooperative work of the system structure, the application realizes full-process automatic closed-loop management, intelligent environment self-adaptive control, high efficiency, energy saving and environmental protection, clothes lossless processing and high-quality folding, modular design and high maintainability, multi-scene adaptation and user experience optimization, and centralized processing of clothes drying, so that the public space is avoided from being occupied, the drying disputes in the dormitory area are reduced, and the property management efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent laundry equipment technology, and in particular to an intelligent automatic washing, drying and collecting clothes management system and method. Background Technology

[0003] University students need to wear comfortable, appropriate, and clean clothing on campus to accommodate long hours of study. Modern university students have heavy academic workloads, coupled with various extracurricular and social activities, making it difficult for most to balance studying and clothing management within limited time, thus affecting their quality of life. Especially during the rainy season in southern China, it's difficult to time clothes drying, often resulting in students not being able to return to their dormitories in time to collect their laundry, causing clean clothes to get wet again. Clothes not processed promptly are prone to bacterial growth, and dried clothes occupy public resources, leading to unsanitary conditions in public spaces, affecting students' physical and mental health, and even triggering various diseases. Therefore, designing an intelligent, automated clothes drying and collection management system is particularly important.

[0004] Existing technologies can automatically control clothes drying racks. For example, patent CN119717899B describes an automatic control method based on machine vision, which achieves automatic control of the clothes drying rack by setting its initial height and adjusting the hanging position and angle of the clothes. Existing technologies can also automatically collect and hang clothes. For instance, patent CN113481700B involves equipment such as sleeves, drive components, wire ropes, drive wheels, driven wheels, and hanging ring assemblies, setting up an automatic clothes collecting and hanging device to achieve orderly automatic collection or hanging of clothes.

[0005] Currently, most "automatic washing" and "automatic drying" devices on the market are relatively independent and lack automatic clothes collection functionality. The former is evolving towards a "washer-dryer combo" that integrates washing and drying, while the latter is centered around a "smart clothes dryer" with added drying capabilities. Although existing washing and drying equipment achieves basic functions, drying and collection still require manual intervention. Users must assess the weather, determine the drying time, and collect the clothes promptly. Automatic washing, automatic drying, and automatic clothes collection are not yet integrated into a complete closed loop. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an integrated automatic clothes drying and collection management system capable of autonomous decision-making and full-process closed-loop management. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collection management system and method, which can fill the gap in the market for integrated automatic washing, drying, and collection of clothes. It proposes a highly automated and intelligent washing, drying, and collection management system that drives the mechanical system to automatically complete the entire process from washing, drying, to collection through the fusion analysis of environmental data and clothing status data, thus realizing a complete closed loop of washing, drying, and collection of clothes.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: An intelligent automatic laundry washing, drying, and collection management system, including Laundry area 1 is equipped with at least one washing machine 7 for receiving and automatically washing clothes; Drying area 5 is equipped with smart clothes hangers, a sterilization module and a drying module, for hanging and drying clothes; Storage area 6 is equipped with classified collection bins for storing processed clothing; Transfer area 4, which is set up between the washing area, drying area and storage area, includes a conveyor belt, a first robotic arm group and a second robotic arm group, and is used to transfer clothes between the areas. It also includes a control center 2, which is communicatively connected to the laundry area, drying area, and transmission area, and is configured as follows: Receive washing task instructions and control the washing machine to complete the washing and spin-drying process; After washing is completed, the first robotic arm group is controlled to grab the clothes onto the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt is controlled to transport the clothes to the designated drying point in the drying area. The system controls the first robotic arm assembly to hang the clothes on the smart clothes hanger, and controls the sterilization module and drying module to work together based on environmental data and clothing dryness data. When the dryness of the clothes is detected to reach the preset standard, the first robotic arm group is controlled to collect the clothes and place them on the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt is controlled to transport the clothes to the working area 3 of the second robotic arm group. Control the second robotic arm assembly to perform a folding operation on the clothing; The conveyor belt is controlled to transport the folded clothes to the storage area, and the opening and closing mechanism of the storage area is controlled to make the clothes fall into the corresponding classified collection bins, thus completing the closed loop of the whole process.

[0008] The control center also includes an intelligent reservation and route planning system, which includes: An interactive terminal is used by users to post orders and includes at least the functions of labeling clothing information and locating the pickup address; The pickup information database is used to store order information; The route planning unit has a built-in route planning algorithm and pre-stores electronic maps and pick-up point information to plan the optimal pick-up route for staff.

[0009] The washing machine integrates an intelligent control module, which includes: The PLC control submodule establishes a two-way communication link with the control center to receive washing parameter commands and provide feedback on the operating status. The sensor interface unit is connected to at least one sensor, including a smart weighing sensor, a water level sensor, and a temperature sensor, to collect data and assist the PLC control submodule in adjusting the washing parameters.

[0010] The clothes drying area includes: Light and humidity sensors are used to monitor ambient light intensity and clothing dryness in real time and send the data to the control center. The smart clothes hanger has a telescopic structure and adjustable hook spacing to accommodate different types of clothing. The sterilization module is an ultraviolet germicidal lamp or an ozone sterilization module, which is evenly distributed above the clothes rack; The drying module is a heat pump drying unit, used to assist or primarily dry clothes.

[0011] Both the first and second robotic arm groups are multi-axis linkage robotic arms, and their end effectors are flexible grippers with built-in pressure sensors. The grippers adjust the gripping force through a force feedback control algorithm to avoid damaging the clothing. The second robotic arm assembly has a pre-stored folding program and is equipped with a visual recognition sensor; The control center identifies the type and posture of clothing based on the clothing image information collected by the visual recognition sensor, and calls the path planning algorithm to generate a folding path, controlling the dual-set linkage grippers to complete the folding action.

[0012] The transmission area includes: Barcode recognition sensors or RFID recognition modules are installed at the inlet of the conveyor belt to read clothing information and realize the tracking of clothing flow path; A positioning sensor is installed in front of the robotic arm's work position to trigger the movement of the first and / or second robotic arm.

[0013] The opening and closing mechanism of the storage area is an electromagnetically driven or pneumatically driven structure. Its top platform opens after receiving the instruction from the control center, allowing the folded clothes to fall into the sorting bins below.

[0014] The control center is further configured as follows: When severe weather is detected, the indoor enhanced drying mode is activated, simultaneously turning on the drying module and heating element to create a composite heat field for rapid drying of clothes.

[0015] Both the first and second robotic arm assemblies adopt a modular quick-release structure, with their core drive components and execution components connected to the main body via a snap-fit ​​structure, facilitating quick maintenance and replacement.

[0016] A laundry method based on the aforementioned intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collection management system includes the following steps: Clothing delivery and activation: The control center adopts a hybrid access mode, supporting two service entry points: "user self-delivery" (offline ordering) and "door-to-door clothing collection" (online ordering). It also performs task scheduling and resource planning to ensure flexibility and efficiency. Receive user orders and generate clothing tags: Identify the received clothing information and user information; Washing and spin-drying clothes: The control center issues a washing task command, and the washing machine automatically starts the preset washing program. After the control system inside the washing machine confirms that all preset programs have been completed, the control center automatically triggers the next stage of automatic clothes transfer function, that is, the first robotic arm puts the clothes onto the conveyor belt. After washing, the clothes are automatically transferred to the drying area for drying and sterilization: the conveyor belt transports the clothes to the second drying area, where the second robotic arm places the clothes on the drying racks; the clothes are then allowed to air dry naturally. Intelligent drying and monitoring of clothing: The second robotic arm takes out the clothes one by one from the transmission area and hangs them on the intelligent clothes rack in the drying area that has been positioned and bound with information. At the same time, the sterilization module and drying module in the drying area start working to sterilize and dry the clothes. Intelligent collection and storage of clothing: After drying, the second robotic arm folds and repackages the clothes. The repackaged clothes are then sent to the storage area, and the control center sends a retrieval prompt. The user can then pick up the clothes themselves or they can be delivered by staff.

[0017] Through the coordinated operation of the above-described system structure, the present invention achieves the following beneficial effects: Fully automated closed-loop management: From clothing delivery to washing, drying, sterilization, folding and storage, no manual intervention is required throughout the process, which greatly improves the efficiency of clothing processing and solves the pain point of users "not having time to dry and collect clothes".

[0018] Intelligent environmental adaptive control: The system monitors environmental data such as weather, humidity and light in real time, and automatically switches between natural drying and enhanced drying modes to prevent clothes from getting wet in the rain and adapt to complex climates such as the plum rain season in the south.

[0019] High efficiency, energy saving and environmental protection: It adopts heat pump drying + waste heat recovery technology, which saves more than 60% energy compared with traditional drying methods; the ultraviolet sterilization module achieves a sterilization rate of 99.9%, reducing the use of chemical disinfectants and conforming to the concept of green and low-carbon development.

[0020] Clothing-free processing and high-quality folding: The robotic arm uses a flexible gripper and force feedback control at the end to avoid damage to clothing; visual recognition and path planning algorithms achieve precise folding with a folding error of ≤±1cm, improving user satisfaction.

[0021] Modular design and high maintainability: The robotic arm adopts a quick-release structure, and core components can be replaced without special tools, improving maintenance efficiency by 70%; the system supports OTA upgrades, and functions are continuously optimized.

[0022] Multi-scenario adaptation and user experience optimization: The system supports various scenarios such as university dormitories and community buildings, is compatible with multiple payment methods, and allows users to view the status of their clothes in real time through the APP, making it convenient to pick up clothes and significantly improving life efficiency.

[0023] Conservation and management improvement of public resources: Centralized handling of clothes drying avoids the occupation of public space, reduces disputes over clothes drying in dormitory areas, and improves property management efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an enlarged view of the laundry area described in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the control center described in this invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the working area described in this invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transmission area described in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clothes drying area described in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the present invention includes... Laundry area 1 is equipped with at least one washing machine 7 for receiving and automatically washing clothes; Drying area 5 is equipped with smart clothes hangers, a sterilization module and a drying module, for hanging and drying clothes; Storage area 6 is equipped with classified collection bins for storing processed clothing; The transfer zone 4 is set up between the washing zone, the drying zone and the storage zone, and includes a conveyor belt, a first robotic arm group 9 and a second robotic arm group 10, for transferring clothes between the zones. It also includes a control center 2, which is communicatively connected to the laundry area, drying area, and transmission area, and is configured as follows: Receive washing task instructions and control the washing machine to complete the washing and spin-drying process; After washing is completed, the first robotic arm group is controlled to grab the clothes onto the conveyor belt 11, and the conveyor belt 11 is controlled to transport the clothes to the designated drying point 12 in the drying area. The system controls the first robotic arm assembly to hang the clothes on the smart clothes hanger, and controls the sterilization module and drying module to work together based on environmental data and clothing dryness data. When the dryness of the clothes is detected to have reached the preset standard, the first robotic arm group is controlled to collect the clothes and place them on the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt is controlled to transport the clothes to the working area of ​​the second robotic arm group. Control the second robotic arm assembly to perform a folding operation on the clothing; The conveyor belt is controlled to transport the folded clothes to the storage area, and the opening and closing mechanism of the storage area is controlled to make the clothes fall into the corresponding classified collection bins, thus completing the closed loop of the whole process.

[0028] The control center also includes an intelligent reservation and route planning system, which includes: An interactive terminal is used by users to post orders and includes at least the functions of labeling clothing information and locating the pickup address; The pickup information database is used to store order information; The route planning unit, with its built-in route planning algorithm and pre-stored electronic maps and pickup point information, is used to plan the optimal pick-up route for staff. The aforementioned intelligent appointment and route planning system addresses the issues of "missing APP functionality and inefficient transportation route planning" in the "clothing delivery and activation" module. Core structural components: The system includes a lightweight campus-specific interactive terminal, an IoT communication module, a pickup information database, and a route planning unit. The interactive terminal integrates order publishing, clothing classification and labeling, pickup address location, and service status push functions. Its backend establishes data interconnection with the control center (industrial-grade PLC controller) through the IoT communication module. The route planning unit has a built-in Dijkstra algorithm, pre-stores campus electronic maps and pickup point distribution information, and collects real-time pedestrian density data to build a road condition model.

[0029] Working principle and function: After a user initiates an order through the interactive terminal, the control center receives information such as clothing type and pickup address and stores it in the pickup information database. The route planning unit calls the algorithm to optimize the route for multiple pickup points, generates the optimal pickup route, and pushes it to the staff terminal. The interactive terminal receives service status feedback from the control center in real time and sends stage reminders to the user, solving the technical problems of online reservations lacking a dedicated interactive platform and disordered pickup routes, and adapting to the usage needs of university scenarios.

[0030] Alternative solutions: The interactive terminal can be replaced with a WeChat mini-program or Alipay service account to implement the function through a third-party platform; the path planning algorithm can be replaced with the A* algorithm to optimize the path search efficiency in complex terrain; the IoT communication module can be a model that supports 5G communication to improve the data transmission rate.

[0031] The washing machine integrates an intelligent control module, which includes: The PLC control submodule establishes a two-way communication link with the control center to receive washing parameter commands and provide feedback on the operating status. The sensor interface unit connects to at least one sensor, including a smart weighing sensor, a water level sensor, and a temperature sensor, to collect data and assist the PLC control submodule in adjusting washing parameters. In actual use, the washing machine intelligent control module is used to solve the problem of "washing machine control module selection and communication adaptation" in the "clothes washing and spin-drying" module; specifically as follows: Intelligent control module selection and connection: The adaptation scheme includes a PLC control submodule, signal transmission cables, and a sensor interface unit; the PLC control submodule is an industrial-grade model supporting the Modbus communication protocol, integrated inside the washing machine (high-strength ABS engineering plastic shell + 304 stainless steel inner tub), and establishes a bidirectional communication link with the industrial-grade PLC controller in the control center through a waterproof signal transmission cable; the sensor interface unit reserves signal access ports for intelligent weighing sensors (alloy steel strain gauges + stainless steel shell), water level sensors (ABS shell + ceramic sensing head), and temperature sensors (stainless steel encapsulated PT100), realizing centralized acquisition of multi-sensor data and command forwarding.

[0032] Control Logic and Function: Based on the clothing material information uploaded by the interactive terminal and the weight data fed back by the washing machine's intelligent weighing sensor, the control center issues washing parameter instructions through the PLC control submodule, including pre-wash duration, main wash temperature, number of rinses, and spin speed. The PLC control submodule collects real-time washing machine operating status data and feeds back in-process, completed, or fault signals to the control center, ensuring the precise controllability of the washing process and solving the technical problems of communication adaptation and parameter coordination between the control module and the system.

[0033] Alternative solutions can be implemented based on actual needs: the PLC control submodule can be replaced with an IoT module that supports the MQTT protocol to achieve wireless communication and reduce cable routing; higher-precision industrial-grade products can be selected for sensors, with the accuracy of intelligent weighing sensors improved to ±0.1kg and temperature sensors to ±0.5℃; signal transmission cables can be replaced with flexible, bend-resistant cables to improve service life in humid environments.

[0034] The clothes drying area includes: Light and humidity sensors are used to monitor ambient light intensity and clothing dryness in real time and send the data to the control center. The smart clothes hanger has a telescopic structure and adjustable hook spacing to accommodate different types of clothing. The sterilization module is an ultraviolet germicidal lamp or an ozone sterilization module, which is evenly distributed above the clothes rack; The drying module is a heat pump drying unit, used to assist or primarily dry clothes.

[0035] Both the first and second robotic arm groups are multi-axis linkage robotic arms, and their end effectors are flexible grippers with built-in pressure sensors. The grippers adjust the gripping force through a force feedback control algorithm to avoid damaging clothing.

[0036] The second robotic arm assembly has a pre-stored folding program and is equipped with a visual recognition sensor; The control center identifies the type and posture of the clothing based on the image information of the clothing collected by the visual recognition sensor, and calls the path planning algorithm to generate a folding path, controlling the dual-set linkage grippers to complete the folding action. In actual use, the selection and adaptation design of the hanging and drying system components (corresponding to the "selection and installation of robotic arms, clothes racks, and sterilization / drying modules" in the "intelligent clothing drying and monitoring" module) Robotic arm selection and installation structure: The robotic arm is driven by a three-axis stepper motor, with a rated load of 5kg and a repeatability of ±0.1mm. Its cast iron base is fixed to the load-bearing beam between the washing area and the drying area by expansion bolts. The installation position is optimized by motion trajectory simulation to ensure that the working radius completely covers all washing machine loading ports and clothes rack hanging positions in the drying area. The end of the robotic arm is equipped with a flexible silicone gripper with a built-in pressure sensor (detection range 0-5N). The gripping force is adjusted through a force feedback control algorithm to avoid damage to clothes.

[0037] Core components of the drying area: The clothes rack adopts a stainless steel telescopic structure with a telescopic stroke of 0-2m. It is connected to a stepper motor through a gear and rack transmission mechanism, and the hook spacing is set at 15cm to accommodate the hanging needs of different sized clothes; the sterilization module uses 30W quartz glass ultraviolet germicidal lamps, which are evenly distributed above the clothes rack. It is equipped with a timer control module (set standard irradiation time of 30 minutes) and an ultraviolet leakage protection baffle; the drying module adopts a heat pump dryer with a COP value ≥3.5, which is connected in series with a waste heat recovery heat exchanger to form a dual-circulation drying system to improve energy utilization efficiency.

[0038] Collaborative control logic and function: After receiving the washing machine's completion signal, the control center sends a clothes-picking and hanging command to the robotic arm. The robotic arm then completes the clothes-picking and hanging actions according to a preset path. Simultaneously, a sterilization and drying command is sent to the drying area, the ultraviolet sterilization lamp is activated, and the heat pump dryer dynamically adjusts the drying power based on feedback data from the temperature sensor (brass-encapsulated NTC thermistor). Through the collaborative control of the robotic arm, clothes rack, sterilization module, and drying module, the technical problems of component selection and adaptation, installation layout, and efficient linkage in the hanging and drying process are solved.

[0039] Alternative solutions: The robotic arm can be replaced with a servo motor driven model, improving the repeatability accuracy to ±0.05mm; the sterilization module can be replaced with an ozone sterilization module, controlling the ozone concentration within the range of 0.3-0.5mg / m³, suitable for UV-sensitive clothing materials; the drying module can be equipped with a graphene heating film as an auxiliary heating unit to improve the drying start-up speed in low-temperature environments; the clothes rack transmission mechanism can be replaced with a ball screw drive to improve the smoothness of the extension and retraction movements.

[0040] In actual use, it also includes a modular robotic arm hanging system to solve the problems of "low hanging efficiency and difficult maintenance" in the "intelligent collection and storage of clothing" module; Mechanical structure composition: The clothes hanging module adopts a robotic arm structure driven by a three-axis stepper motor (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis), and is equipped with a flexible gripper at the end. The gripper has a built-in pressure sensor. The robotic arm adopts a modular quick-release design, and the core components (motor, gripper, transmission belt) are connected to the main body through a snap-fit ​​structure.

[0041] Control technology and function: The RRT* (Rapidly-exploring Random Tree Star) path planning algorithm is adopted.

[0042] "RRT Fast Explore Random Tree Star Algorithm" usually refers to the RRT* algorithm, which is an optimized version of the classic RRT algorithm. Below is the core idea and pseudocode steps: 1. Initialization: Tree T contains only the starting point x_init.

[0043] 2. Random sampling: Randomly sample a point x_rand in the state space.

[0044] 3. Find the nearest neighbor: Find the node x_nearest that is closest to x_rand in tree T.

[0045] 4. Guided Growth: Step a fixed step size from x_nearest towards x_rand to obtain a new node x_new. Check if the path from x_nearest to x_new is collision-free.

[0046] 5. Reselect parent node (key optimization): Within a neighborhood radius of x_new (which decreases as the tree size increases), find the set x_near of all possible candidate nodes that could be its "parent node".

[0047] Iterate through each node x_near in x_near and calculate the total cost of the path from the starting point through x_near to x_new.

[0048] From all feasible x_near nodes (including the original x_nearest), select the one with the lowest total cost as the best parent node x_best for x_new.

[0049] Connect x_new to x_best and add it to the tree.

[0050] 6. Rewiring (Key Optimization): Iterate through each node x_near in x_near again.

[0051] Check if reconnecting x_near to x_new (i.e. making x_new the new parent node of x_near) would reduce the path cost of x_near and its subtrees.

[0052] If possible, perform "rewiring": disconnect x_near from its original parent node and connect it to x_new. This is like locally optimizing the tree structure to make it better.

[0053] Loop: Repeat steps 2-6 until the set number of samples, time, or a path that meets the conditions is found.

[0054] The main control MCU controls the movement trajectory of the three-axis stepper motors, achieving precise positioning for garment gripping, transfer, and hanging. This results in a low failure rate and solves the problems of low efficiency and inaccurate positioning associated with manual garment hanging. The grippers' built-in pressure sensors provide force feedback control; when an obstacle is detected, the motor immediately stops to prevent damage to the garments or equipment malfunction.

[0055] Maintenance optimization design and function: The modular quick-release structure allows for the replacement of easily damaged parts such as motors and belts in a short time without the need for professional tools, greatly reducing maintenance difficulty and time consumption, and solving the problems of complex and costly maintenance of traditional equipment.

[0056] Alternative solutions: The humidity sensor can be replaced with a capacitive humidity sensor to improve stability in high humidity and dusty environments; the communication bus can be replaced with a CAN bus to enhance anti-interference capabilities; the drying threshold can be optimized through machine learning algorithms, automatically adjusting the judgment criteria for different types of clothing based on historical drying data to improve adaptability.

[0057] The transmission area includes: Barcode recognition sensors or RFID recognition modules are installed at the inlet of the conveyor belt to read clothing information and realize the tracking of clothing flow path; The positioning detection sensor is installed in front of the robotic arm's work position to trigger the robotic arm's movements.

[0058] The opening and closing mechanism of the storage area is an electromagnetically driven or pneumatically driven structure. Its top platform opens after receiving the instruction from the control center, allowing the folded clothes to fall into the sorting bins below.

[0059] The control center is further configured as follows: When severe weather is detected, the indoor enhanced drying mode is activated, simultaneously turning on the drying module and heating element to create a composite heat field for rapid drying of clothes.

[0060] Both the first and second robotic arm assemblies adopt a modular quick-release structure, with their core drive components and execution components connected to the main body via a snap-fit ​​structure, facilitating rapid maintenance and replacement. According to the system of claim 1, the control center includes a scheduling module, a monitoring module, and a communication module, capable of automatically allocating washing resources based on order information, monitoring equipment status in real time, and sending pickup notifications to users. The work area is equipped with robotic arms featuring visual recognition and force control functions for sorting, loading, transferring, and folding clothing. The drying area includes retractable multi-layer hangers, a heat pump drying device, and an ultraviolet sterilization device, enabling the drying and disinfection of clothing within a closed space. The transmission area is equipped with barcode recognition and path sorting devices to ensure that each garment is traceable within the system.

[0061] A laundry method comprising the following steps: Clothing delivery and initiation: The control center adopts a hybrid access mode, supporting two service entry points: "user self-delivery" (offline ordering) and "door-to-door clothing pickup" (online ordering). Task scheduling and resource planning are implemented to ensure flexibility and efficiency. Specifically, the online appointment for "door-to-door clothing pickup" lacks a dedicated interactive platform. Current research has not yet developed a related app. It is necessary to clearly define the core functional modules of an app adapted to the university setting, including order posting, clothing information labeling (such as material and degree of soiling), pickup address location (dormitory building number + room number), and real-time service status query (awaiting pickup / washing / drying / available for pickup). Simultaneously, it is necessary to consider students' usage habits, ensuring a simple and intuitive operation process to reduce learning costs. When staff pick up packages offline, there is a lack of intelligent route planning system. It is necessary to solve the problem of calculating the optimal route between different dormitory buildings and different pickup points to avoid inefficient pickup and delays caused by the accumulation of clothing.

[0062] Receive user orders and generate clothing tags: Identify the received clothing information and user information; Washing and Spin-drying: The control center issues a washing task command, and the washing machine automatically starts the predetermined washing program. After confirming that all preset programs are completed, the control center automatically triggers the next stage of automatic clothing transfer, where the first robotic arm places the clothes onto the conveyor belt. Specifically, a control module suitable for centralized washing scenarios (with a high-strength ABS engineering plastic shell and a 304 stainless steel inner drum) needs to be selected. This module must have seamless communication capabilities with the control center (including an industrial-grade PLC controller), accurately receive washing parameter commands, and support real-time data feedback from intelligent weighing sensors, water level sensors, and temperature sensors to ensure automatic adjustment of the washing mode and parameters based on the weight and material of the clothes. After washing, the clothes are automatically transferred to the drying area for drying and sterilization: The conveyor belt transports the clothes to the second drying area, where the second robotic arm places the clothes on the drying rack for natural drying. Intelligent Clothing Drying and Monitoring: The second robotic arm removes clothes one by one from the transport area and hangs them on the intelligent clothes racks in the drying area, which are already in place and have their information bound. Simultaneously, the sterilization and drying modules in the drying area begin working to sterilize and dry the clothes; specifically... It is necessary to select a robotic arm (cast iron base + aviation aluminum alloy arm body + silicone gripper) that is suitable for the linkage operation of the laundry area and the drying area, and to clarify its load capacity, motion accuracy and gripping stability indicators to ensure that it can be adapted to the non-destructive gripping of clothes of different materials. The installation location of the robotic arm needs to be planned to cover all washing machine loading ports and clothes rack hanging positions in the drying area to avoid conflicting movement paths; The required retractable clothes rack (stainless steel tubing + gear and rack transmission structure) for the drying area must be selected, and its extension stroke, load-bearing capacity and drying density must be suitable for centralized use. It is necessary to select a sterilization module (quartz glass UV sterilization lamp) suitable for the closed chamber environment, and clarify its sterilization power, irradiation range and safety protection design; A heat pump dryer unit (cold-rolled steel plate powder-coated shell + copper-aluminum composite heat exchanger) should be selected as the drying module. Its drying efficiency, energy consumption index and linkage response speed with the humidity sensor should meet the requirements of the scenario.

[0063] Intelligent collection and storage of clothing: After drying, the second robotic arm folds and repackages the clothes. The repackaged clothes are then sent to the storage area, and the control center sends a retrieval prompt. The user can then pick up the clothes themselves or they can be delivered by staff.

[0064] Specifically, a humidity sensor (ABS shell + polymer humidity sensitive element) specifically for clothes drying racks in the drying area should be selected. Its detection accuracy, response speed and stability should meet the standards, and it should be able to accurately identify the dryness of the clothes and send a reliable signal to the control center to ensure accurate judgment of when to collect the clothes. The required sensing devices to be selected for the conveyor belt (polyurethane base belt + aluminum alloy frame) in the transmission area include barcode recognition sensors (ABS shell + laser emitter) and position detection sensors (plastic shell + infrared emitter / receiver tube), and their recognition accuracy and response speed are required to meet the needs of clothing traceability and circulation control. The design of the folding program for the robotic arm (HT200 gray cast iron base + dual-set linkage grippers) needs to be solved to ensure that the program can adapt to the stretching, folding, flattening and corner tidying actions of different styles and sizes of clothing, and improve the neatness of folding. The opening and closing platform at the end of the conveyor needs to be selected. Its opening and closing mechanism must be responsive, have good sealing performance, and be able to accurately receive instructions from the No. 7 control center to ensure that the clothes fall smoothly into the collection bin.

[0065] In actual use, core components of the recycling process are also set up to solve the problems of "sensor selection, robotic arm folding program, and opening and closing platform selection in the recycling process" in the "intelligent collection and storage of clothing" module. The transmission area is equipped with a barcode recognition sensor and an infrared position detection sensor. The barcode recognition sensor (scanning distance 5-15cm, recognition accuracy 99.9%) is installed at the entrance of the conveyor belt to read the order barcode information bound to the clothing and upload it to the control center to realize the tracking of the clothing flow path. The infrared position detection sensor is installed in front of the robotic arm's working position to detect the arrival signal of the clothing and trigger the robotic arm's folding action.

[0066] Robotic arm folding program and structure: The robotic arm adopts an HT200 gray cast iron base, equipped with an aerospace aluminum alloy forged upper and lower arm, and a dual-set linkage gripper at the end (ABS plastic frame + food-grade silicone contact pad). It has built-in pressure sensor and vision recognition sensor (resolution 1280×720). The folding program has pre-stored folding templates for common clothing such as tops, pants, and coats. It collects images of clothing through the vision recognition sensor and identifies the type and placement posture. It calls the RRT* path planning algorithm to generate the folding path and controls the gripper to complete the stretching, folding, flattening, and corner tidying actions. The folding error is ≤±1cm.

[0067] Selection and control logic of the opening and closing platform: The platform adopts an electromagnetic drive structure, the panel material is ABS plastic, the opening and closing stroke is 0-50cm, and the response time is ≤0.5 seconds; a sealing strip is installed at the bottom of the platform to ensure the airtightness in the closed state and prevent dust from entering the collection bin; the platform is connected to the control center through a signal cable, and automatically opens after receiving the signal of the arrival of clothes, and closes after a 1-second delay after the clothes fall into the collection bin to complete the recycling action.

[0068] Collaborative working principle and function: When clothes are transported by the conveyor belt, the barcode recognition sensor completes the binding of order information and uploads it to the control center. After the arrival detection sensor detects the clothes, it triggers the robotic arm to start the folding program. After folding, the conveyor belt continues to transport the clothes to the opening and closing platform. After receiving the command from the control center, the platform opens to realize the automatic recycling of clothes. Through the collaborative work of the sensing device, the robotic arm and the opening and closing platform, the technical problems of component selection and adaptation, folding program design and action linkage in the recycling process are solved.

[0069] Alternative solutions: The sensing device can be replaced with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) module to improve the reading speed and penetration of clothing information; the robotic arm folding program can be optimized through deep learning algorithms to increase the folding adaptability of special styles of clothing; the opening and closing platform can be selected with a pneumatic drive structure to improve load capacity and opening and closing stability; the conveyor belt drive motor can be replaced with a variable frequency motor to achieve stepless adjustment of transmission speed.

[0070] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, further explains and illustrates this application. Figure 1Schematic diagram of an intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collection system. 1 is the washing area: It uses a 304 stainless steel frame and color steel plate enclosure, which is corrosion-resistant and easy to clean. The interior has pre-installed washing machine installation positions and water supply / drainage interfaces, responsible for washing clothes. 2 is the control center: It features a fully sealed dustproof design, with an aluminum alloy shell and double-layered explosion-proof glass observation windows. It has an independent internal heat dissipation system and is responsible for controlling the operation of the entire plant. 3 is the work area: The floor is paved with non-slip, wear-resistant polyurethane flooring, with anti-collision rubber strips around the perimeter. It is equipped with two sets of robotic arm operating stations, responsible for feeding clothes from the conveyor belt into the washing machines and subsequent sorting. 4 is the transmission area: Composed of multiple interlocking conveyor belts, with anti-fall baffles on both sides, responsible for transporting clothes to designated locations. 5 is the drying area: It uses a steel structure frame and PC endurance board roof, combining light transmission and rain protection. The interior is equipped with retractable drying racks and drying equipment, responsible for drying the washed clothes. Each key location in each area is integrated with corresponding sensors to achieve real-time monitoring of equipment status and clothing information; the storage area consists of six sections: the core includes a three-dimensional shelf system, compartment units, intelligent sorting devices, a safety protection structure, and a sensor interaction module. The shelf system is made of stainless steel and can be multi-unit spliced ​​and expanded, with independent compartments at each level. The compartment size is larger for community scenarios. The compartment doors are equipped with electromagnetic locks and status indicator lights, and can prevent dust and moisture. The sorting device includes a conveyor belt and identification equipment, which can accurately guide clothing into the corresponding compartment. The protection structure has a closed cabinet and a monitoring camera, with built-in dehumidification equipment. The compartments can detect the storage status of clothing. The interaction module supports touch query and barcode scanning for retrieval, realizing the functions of classified storage, safe storage, and convenient retrieval of clothing.

[0071] Figure 2 Enlarged view of the laundry area. Washing machine #7: The main body uses a high-strength ABS engineering plastic shell, which is impact-resistant and lightweight. The inner drum is made of 304 stainless steel, which is corrosion-resistant and does not easily breed bacteria. The washing machine is equipped with intelligent weighing sensors (material: alloy steel strain gauge + stainless steel shell), water level sensors (material: ABS shell + ceramic sensor head), and temperature sensors (material: stainless steel encapsulated PT100), which can accurately control washing parameters. Shock-absorbing rubber pads are installed at the bottom of the machine to reduce vibration and noise during operation. The power cord uses a waterproof and flame-retardant cable to ensure electrical safety in humid environments. Sensor data is transmitted to the control center in real time through a waterproof signal cable, ensuring accurate and controllable washing process.

[0072] Figure 3Enlarged view of Control Center 2. The control center is equipped with chairs; the main frame (8) is made of anodized 6061-T6 aluminum alloy; the seat and backrest are made of high-density polyurethane foam with waterproof and stain-resistant PU leather; the armrests are made of 304 stainless steel tubing; the height adjustment mechanism consists of a 45# steel gear set with a nylon lifting rod; and the chair legs are made of nitrile rubber anti-slip pads. The control center is also equipped with a table; the tabletop is made of fireproof board-faced high-density fiberboard with 304 stainless steel edging; the table frame is made of hot-dip galvanized Q235B carbon steel; the equipment mounting shelves are made of perforated 304 stainless steel; the cable management channels are made of rigid PVC plastic; and the table legs are adjustable 45# galvanized steel metal feet. The core components include an industrial-grade PLC controller, a touch screen operation panel, a signal receiver, and a relay module. The controller is encapsulated in an aluminum alloy shell, providing dustproof, moisture-proof, and electromagnetic interference-resistant capabilities. The touch screen is made of tempered glass and supports multi-touch. The internal circuitry uses copper core wires, and the terminals are made of flame-retardant PA material. It is equipped with overload protection, short-circuit protection, and leakage protection devices to ensure stable operation of the equipment. The control center has a cooling fan and ventilation grille at the back to protect the operating temperature of the electronic components. It also integrates a signal receiving sensor (material: aluminum alloy shell + ceramic antenna) to receive analog / digital signals from sensors in various areas, enabling centralized system scheduling.

[0073] Figure 4 Enlarged view of the work area. 9 represents the Robotic Arm Series 1: responsible for moving and drying clothes. It consists of a base, upper arm, forearm, wrist, and end effector. The base is made of cast iron, making it heavy and stable. The upper and forearms are forged from aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, offering high strength and lightweight construction. High-precision ball bearings are used at the joints, and servo motors and reducers are included for precise positioning and flexible rotation. The wrist can rotate 360 ​​degrees, and the end effector features silicone grippers that are soft and non-slip, preventing damage to clothes. Pressure sensors are located on the inside of the grippers to adjust the gripping force according to the thickness of the clothes. 10 represents the Robotic Arm Series 2: responsible for folding clothes. It consists of a cast iron base (material: HT200 gray cast iron, heavy and stable, with anti-slip and shock-absorbing pads on the bottom), an upper and lower arm forged from aviation aluminum alloy (high strength and lightweight, ensuring flexible movement), a 360-degree rotating wrist (allowing flexible adjustment of the folding angle), and a folding-specific end effector. The joints use high-precision ball bearings and are equipped with servo motors and reducers to achieve precise positioning and smooth operation of the folding action. The end effector is a double-set linkage gripper (material: ABS plastic frame + food-grade silicone contact pad, soft and non-slip, avoiding damage to clothing). The gripper has built-in pressure sensors and visual recognition sensors, which can accurately sense the thickness, size, and placement of clothing. Through preset programs, it completes a series of folding actions such as stretching, folding, flattening, and corner tidying, adapting to different styles and sizes of clothing, with a high degree of folding neatness.

[0074] Figure 5 Enlarged view of the transmission area. 11 represents the base belt of the conveyor belt, made of polyurethane (PU) with an anti-slip textured surface, making it wear-resistant, aging-resistant, and less prone to staining. The conveyor belt frame is made of aluminum alloy profiles, lightweight and corrosion-resistant. The bottom rollers are made of seamless steel pipes with a chrome-plated surface to reduce friction loss with the base belt. The conveyor belt drive is a variable frequency motor, allowing for adjustable transmission speed. The side baffles are made of PVC and can be easily disassembled and replaced. A waste collection trough is located at the bottom for easy removal of fallen debris. Key nodes in the transmission area are equipped with barcode recognition sensors (material: ABS shell + laser emitter) and position detection sensors (material: plastic shell + infrared emitter / receiver) to track the clothing position in real time, ensuring accurate flow path.

[0075] Figure 6 Enlarged view of the clothes drying area. Number 12 shows the drying racks in the drying area. The main body is made of stainless steel tubing with a rust-proof finish. The telescopic structure uses a gear and rack drive, powered by a stepper motor, allowing for flexible adjustment. The hanger hooks on the drying racks are made of ABS plastic and have anti-slip buckles at the top to prevent clothes from slipping. The drying area is equipped with a heat pump dryer unit. The unit's outer shell is made of cold-rolled steel plate with a powder coating, and the internal heat exchanger is made of copper-aluminum composite material, ensuring high heat exchange efficiency. It also features ultraviolet germicidal lamps with quartz glass tubes, providing efficient sterilization and a timer to prevent excessive irradiation from damaging clothes. Humidity sensors (material: ABS shell + polymer humidity-sensitive element) and temperature sensors (material: brass-encapsulated NTC thermistors) are evenly distributed on the top of the drying area and on the drying racks to monitor the dryness of clothes and the ambient temperature and humidity in real time, providing feedback to the control center to adjust drying and sterilization parameters.

[0076] (1) Full-process closed-loop efficiency innovation: The integrated system combines six core links: putting clothes in, washing clothes, hanging clothes, drying, sterilizing and collecting clothes. It pioneered the "scan code to put clothes in - automatic processing - pick up clothes by code" extremely simple process. The operation steps are ≤3 steps, and the processing cycle of a single piece of clothing is reduced to 1.5-2 hours. Compared with the traditional manual drying + manual collection mode, the efficiency is improved by more than 60%, which completely solves the pain point that students have no time to deal with clothes due to busy schoolwork.

[0077] (2) Significant improvement in hygiene protection performance: The ultraviolet sterilization module achieves a sterilization rate of 99.9% after 30 minutes of irradiation. Combined with the closed chamber structure, it effectively isolates dust, sewage and external bacterial pollution. The amount of bacteria residue on clothes is reduced by more than 95% compared with traditional drying, significantly reducing health risks such as skin allergies and respiratory discomfort. The drying module accurately controls the humidity and automatically stops after reaching the standard, avoiding damage from over-drying clothes or bacterial growth from undried clothes, ensuring the cleanliness and comfort of the clothes.

[0078] (3) Dual breakthroughs in environmental adaptability and energy saving: The multi-sensor fusion weather judgment system collects data such as humidity, wind speed, and air pressure every 10 seconds, predicts severe weather in advance and automatically triggers the clothes collection action, completely eliminating the dependence of natural drying on the weather, and reducing the rate of clothes getting wet during the plum rain season in the south to 0; The heat pump + waste heat recovery dual-cycle drying scheme saves more than 60% of electricity compared with the traditional resistance wire drying, and saves 2,000-3,000 kWh of electricity per unit per year. The closed chamber design reduces secondary pollution of clothes and indirectly saves 500-800 tons of water for secondary washing per year, which is in line with the concept of green development.

[0079] (4) Two-way optimization of equipment operation and maintenance and usage costs: The robotic arm adopts a modular quick-disassembly structure. The replacement of core components (motor, gripper, transmission belt) does not require professional tools and takes ≤30 minutes, improving maintenance efficiency by 70%. Hardware selection strictly controls costs through bulk procurement and price comparison. Key components are put into use after power-on testing and precision calibration, reducing equipment failure rate by 50% compared to traditional mechanical structures. The revenue sharing model with the project owner means that the project owner does not need to bear the initial equipment investment, but only provides site and security support, which greatly reduces the threshold for implementation and makes operation and maintenance costs controllable.

[0080] (5) Win-win upgrade of public management and user experience: Centralized handling of clothing drying needs completely solves the disputes of queuing and occupying space for drying in dormitory areas, reduces the workload of management personnel in patrol and coordination, and improves management efficiency by 80%; the integrated design reuses existing site resources, eliminating the need to open up additional drying space, increasing site utilization by more than 30%, and alleviating the problem of tight public space in universities and communities; users do not need to spend time drying, collecting and waiting for clothes to dry, saving 2-3 hours per week, which is beneficial to improving learning and living efficiency, while avoiding the embarrassment of missing important occasions due to clothes not drying for a long time, and significantly improving the quality of life.

[0081] (6) Flexible and diverse scene adaptation and expansion capabilities: The system supports modular expansion and can increase or decrease the number of washing machines, robotic arm units and clothes drying rack layers according to the size of the venue and the scale of users in different scenarios such as university dormitories and community buildings, adapting to the centralized living scenarios of 100-5000 people; The control system supports OTA remote upgrades and can continuously optimize the scheduling algorithm and folding program based on usage data to adapt to clothing of different materials and sizes; It is compatible with multiple payment methods such as campus card, WeChat payment, and Alipay payment, and reserves interfaces for docking with campus management system and community service platform, which can be quickly integrated into the existing management system.

[0082] Reference Figure 1Users can place an order and pay through a mobile app or on-site terminal, and then put their laundry into a designated drop-off point (which can be set up in dormitories, public areas, etc.). The laundry area (section 1) uses a 304 stainless steel frame and color steel plate enclosure, which is corrosion-resistant and easy to clean. It has pre-installed installation spaces for washing machines and water supply / drainage interfaces, responsible for washing clothes. The control center (section 2) is a fully sealed dustproof design with an aluminum alloy shell and double-layered explosion-proof glass observation windows. It has an independent internal heat dissipation system and is responsible for controlling the operation of the entire factory. The work area (section 3) has a non-slip, wear-resistant polyurethane floor with anti-collision rubber strips around the perimeter. It is equipped with two sets of robotic arm operating stations (robotic arm series 1 and robotic arm series 2), responsible for drying, folding, and storing clothes delivered by the conveyor belt. The transmission area (section 4) consists of multiple interlocking conveyor belts with anti-fall baffles on both sides, responsible for transporting clothes to designated locations. The drying area (section 5) uses a steel structure frame and a PC endurance board roof, combining light transmission and rain protection. It is equipped with retractable drying racks and drying equipment, responsible for drying washed clothes.

[0083] The following is a further explanation using specific practical examples. See Figures 1 to 6 First, the user initiates a usage request to the terminal via a mobile app and selects a washing mode (such as quick wash, standard wash, dry cleaning, etc.); after payment, the system transmits the order information to the terminal in real time. Figure 3 The PCL main control module in the control center generates a clothing retrieval code and sends it back to the user. Simultaneously, the clothing dispensing slot receives the command, and the infrared sensor activates. At this point, the user places the clothing into the dispensing slot. Figure 1 In the middle laundry area, the washing machine started working; then... Figure 3 The control center monitors the washing machine's operating status in real time. Figure 2 The 304 stainless steel frame and color steel plate enclosure of the laundry area ensure a clean internal environment. Pre-set stainless steel ball valve water supply and drain interfaces automatically open for water supply and close for drainage upon command from the control center. The washing machine completes the wash cycle according to the preset program. During the process, a water pressure sensor monitors the water supply pressure in real time (maintaining it between 0.3-0.6 MPa) to prevent leakage. After washing, the washing machine sends a completion signal to the control center, triggering the start of the transmission zone.

[0084] Figure 5 The conveyor belt in the transfer area is made of splicable PU material and operates at a speed of 0.2-0.5m / s driven by a stepper motor. 5mm thick transparent PC board anti-fall baffles on both sides prevent clothes from slipping, and adjustable anchor bolts at the bottom ensure the conveyor belt is level. Transition guide plates (spaced ≤5mm) at the connection with the washing area prevent clothes from getting stuck, smoothly transporting the washed clothes to the washing area. Figure 4 Work area. At this time, the infrared positioning sensor in the work area will detect the position of the clothing and move it towards the work area. Figure 3The control center sends a feedback signal and immediately instructs robotic arm series 1 to start. The robotic arm is equipped with visual recognition technology, which uses a camera to capture the outline and corners of the clothes, and uses a vacuum suction cup clamp to accurately grab the clothes and move them to the retractable drying rack in the drying area according to a preset path. Figure 6 The steel frame and PC endurance board roof of the clothes drying area ensure light transmission and rain protection. If the ambient humidity sensor detects cloudy or rainy weather (humidity ≥70%), the system will be able to prevent rain. Figure 3 The control center will automatically start the industrial dryer, adjust the drying temperature to 30-60℃ using a temperature sensor, and set the drying time to 30-120 minutes using a time relay to ensure that clothes dry quickly.

[0085] After the clothes are dry, Figure 6 The displacement sensor in the clothes drying area sends a feedback signal to the control center. Figure 5 The transfer area restarts, moving the drying rack to the work area. The robotic arm series 2, equipped with multi-degree-of-freedom grippers and pressure sensors, uses visual recognition technology to locate the collar and cuffs of the garments. Following a preset program, it performs folding actions such as collar adjustment, folding, and sleeve stacking to prevent damage to the clothing. After folding, the robotic arm moves the garments to a designated storage compartment. Once the infrared sensor in the compartment confirms the garments are in place, it sends a signal to the designated storage compartment. Figure 3 The control center sends a signal.

[0086] at last, Figure 3 The control center will send a notification and a retrieval code to your mobile app. Users simply need to scan the retrieval code at the drop-off point or the verification terminal in the work area. After the terminal verifies the code using RFID technology, the control center will unlock the storage compartment, allowing you to retrieve your clean, folded clothes. Throughout the process... Figure 3 The control center's independent cooling system (axial fan + temperature sensor) ensures stable operation of electronic components. Figure 5 The structural design of the transmission area, such as the anti-fall baffle, combined with the sensor feedback of each module and the logic scheduling of the PLC main control, realizes the fully automated and safe operation of the entire process from ordering to picking up clothes.

[0087] The specific operating procedure for this invention in actual use is as follows: Clothing Loading and Startup: The intelligent automatic laundry management system adopts a hybrid access mode, supporting two service entry points: "user self-delivery" (offline ordering) and "door-to-door pickup" (online ordering). A unified central control center handles task scheduling and resource planning to ensure flexibility and efficiency. If a user places an order online, the control center receives the user information and relays it to staff, planning the optimal pickup route and assigning staff to pick up the clothes, ensuring timely transport to the laundry area. If a user places an order offline, the user directly delivers the clothes to the designated laundry area. After the clothes arrive at the laundry area, staff or users verify their identity and place the clothes in the washing machine. The system automatically assigns a washing sequence number to the clothes, and upon confirmation, automatically triggers the next washing cycle.

[0088] Washing and Spin-drying: The control center issues a washing task command, and the washing machine automatically starts the preset washing program, which mainly includes pre-wash, main wash, rinsing, and spin-drying. The control center receives the washing machine's "Signal 1" and determines the washing time, washing intensity, and spin-drying strength according to the user's washing needs, ensuring that the washing and spin-drying process fully meets the user's requirements. After confirming that all preset programs have been completed, the washing and spin-drying task completion "Signal 2" sends a signal to the control terminal, indicating that the washing and spin-drying work has been completed as required. After system confirmation, the next stage of automatic clothes transfer is automatically triggered.

[0089] Automated Clothing Transfer: The control center issues Clothing Transfer Command 1, activating the intelligent robotic arm series 1 and conveyor belt in the transfer area. The robotic arm series 1 precisely grabs the washed and spun-dryed clothes and places them on the non-slip conveyor belt. The conveyor belt, equipped with an infrared positioning device, plans the optimal transfer path based on the quantity of clothes and available space in the drying area, smoothly transporting the clothes to the designated drying spots in the drying area.

[0090] Intelligent Clothes Drying and Monitoring: After receiving the transmission completion command, the control center issues Drying Command 2. The drying area is equipped with light and humidity sensors to monitor light intensity and clothing dryness in real time. A robotic arm removes the clothes one by one from the transmission area and hangs them on the intelligent clothes racks in the drying area, which are already in place and have their information bound. The drying area automatically allocates drying intervals based on the size and thickness of the clothes to ensure optimal light and ventilation during drying. The sterilization and drying modules in the drying area then begin operation. During normal operation, the sterilization module sterilizes the clothes, while the drying module accelerates drying, supplemented by indoor heating elements to maintain a suitable indoor temperature and humidity. When the system determines that there is prolonged rain or other inclement weather, the control center issues an enhanced indoor drying mode, simultaneously activating the indoor heating elements and drying modules to create a composite heat field, achieving rapid and efficient drying of the clothes, thus ensuring the stable and continuous operation of the intelligent washing, drying, and collection system.

[0091] Intelligent Clothing Collection and Storage: Based on real-time dryness data fed back by sensors integrated into the clothes hangers, the system determines the dryness of the clothing. When the detected dryness reaches the system's preset standard value c, the control center issues "Collect Clothes No. 3 Command". This command first sequentially shuts down the sterilization and drying modules on the clothes rack, entering a low-energy consumption state. Then, the control center issues a collection command, controlling robotic arm series 1 to execute the clothing collection instruction. Robotic arm series 1 transfers the clothing from the clothes rack to the conveyor belt. Sensors on the conveyor belt send signal No. 5 to the control center to confirm the handover is complete. After receiving signal No. 5, the control center simultaneously sends "Collect Clothes No. 4 Command" to the conveyor belt and robotic arm series 2. The conveyor belt starts, transporting the clothing to robotic arm series 2; robotic arm series 2 prepares, automatically performing precise folding when the clothing arrives at its working area. After folding, robotic arm series 2 sends signal No. 6 to the control center. Upon receiving signal No. 6, the control center feeds back to the conveyor belt, instructing it to continue working, transporting the folded clothing to the end platform. Once the platform's sensors detect the arrival of the clothing, they send "Signal 7" to the control center. The control center then issues "Command 5" to the platform, which opens the hatch, allowing the clothing to fall into the sorting bins below, completing the retrieval of a single garment. After all clothing in the current batch has been processed, the conveyor belt sends "Signal 8" to the control center, confirming the completion of the entire intelligent collection and post-processing process and updating the task status.

[0092] User Clothing Retrieval: Once the control center confirms that the clothing has completed the entire process of "washing, drying, collecting, and storing," it sends a task completion notification ("Signal No. 9") to the preset service terminal (user APP or staff equipment), prompting relevant personnel to go to the designated storage area to retrieve the processed clothing.

[0093] System Reset and Standby: After the entire process is completed, each module automatically resets: the laundry area drains and cleans, the conveyor belt in the transport area returns to its position, and the clothes racks in the drying area are retracted. The control center records the data for this laundry and drying session (such as clothing weight, washing time, energy consumption, etc.) and enters standby mode, awaiting the next instruction.

[0094] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that directional terms such as "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", and "counterclockwise" indicate the orientation and positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. They should not be construed as limiting the specific protection scope of this invention.

[0095] It should be noted that the terms "comprising" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not explicitly listed or that are inherent to such process, method, product, or device.

[0096] Note that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment and application of the technical principles of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and may include many other effective embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An intelligent automatic laundry washing, drying, and collection management system, characterized in that: include The laundry area is equipped with at least one washing machine to receive and automatically wash clothes; The clothes drying area is equipped with smart clothes hangers, a sterilization module, and a drying module for hanging and drying clothes. The storage area is equipped with classified collection bins for storing processed clothing; The transfer area, which is set up between the washing area, the drying area and the storage area, includes a conveyor belt, a first robotic arm group and a second robotic arm group, and is used to transfer clothes between the areas. It also includes a control center, which is communicatively connected to the laundry area, drying area, and transmission area, and is configured as follows: Receive washing task instructions and control the washing machine to complete the washing and spin-drying process; After washing is completed, the first robotic arm group is controlled to grab the clothes onto the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt is controlled to transport the clothes to the designated drying point in the drying area. The system controls the first robotic arm assembly to hang the clothes on the smart clothes hanger, and controls the sterilization module and drying module to work together based on environmental data and clothing dryness data. When the dryness of the clothes is detected to have reached the preset standard, the first robotic arm group is controlled to collect the clothes and place them on the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt is controlled to transport the clothes to the working area of ​​the second robotic arm group. Control the second robotic arm assembly to perform a folding operation on the clothing; The conveyor belt is controlled to transport the folded clothes to the storage area, and the opening and closing mechanism of the storage area is controlled to make the clothes fall into the corresponding classified collection bins, thus completing the closed loop of the whole process.

2. The intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collecting clothes management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control center also includes an intelligent reservation and route planning system, which includes: An interactive terminal is used by users to post orders and includes at least the functions of labeling clothing information and locating the pickup address; The pickup information database is used to store order information; The route planning unit has a built-in route planning algorithm and pre-stores electronic maps and pick-up point information to plan the optimal pick-up route for staff.

3. The intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collecting clothes management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The washing machine integrates an intelligent control module, which includes: The PLC control submodule establishes a two-way communication link with the control center to receive washing parameter commands and provide feedback on the operating status. The sensor interface unit is connected to at least one sensor, including a smart weighing sensor, a water level sensor, and a temperature sensor, to collect data and assist the PLC control submodule in adjusting the washing parameters.

4. The intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collecting clothes management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clothes drying area includes: Light and humidity sensors are used to monitor ambient light intensity and clothing dryness in real time and send the data to the control center. The smart clothes hanger has a telescopic structure and adjustable hook spacing to accommodate different types of clothing. The sterilization module is an ultraviolet germicidal lamp or an ozone sterilization module, which is evenly distributed above the clothes rack; The drying module is a heat pump drying unit, used to assist or primarily dry clothes.

5. The intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collecting clothes management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first and second robotic arm groups are multi-axis linkage robotic arms, and their end effectors are flexible grippers with built-in pressure sensors. The grippers adjust the gripping force through a force feedback control algorithm to avoid damaging clothing. The second robotic arm assembly has a pre-stored folding program and is equipped with a visual recognition sensor; The control center identifies the type and posture of clothing based on the clothing image information collected by the visual recognition sensor, and calls the path planning algorithm to generate a folding path, controlling the dual-set linkage grippers to complete the folding action.

6. The intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collecting clothes management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission area includes: Barcode recognition sensors or RFID recognition modules are installed at the inlet of the conveyor belt to read clothing information and realize the tracking of clothing flow path; A positioning detection sensor is installed in front of the robotic arm's work position to trigger the movement of the first and / or second robotic arm.

7. The intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collecting clothes management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening and closing mechanism of the storage area is an electromagnetically driven or pneumatically driven structure. Its top platform opens after receiving the instruction from the control center, allowing the folded clothes to fall into the sorting bins below.

8. The intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collecting clothes management system according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The control center is further configured as follows: When severe weather is detected, the indoor enhanced drying mode is activated, simultaneously turning on the drying module and heating element to create a composite heat field for rapid drying of clothes.

9. The intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collection management system according to claim 8, characterized in that, Both the first and second robotic arm assemblies adopt a modular quick-release structure, with their core drive components and execution components connected to the main body via a snap-fit ​​structure, facilitating quick maintenance and replacement.

10. A laundry method based on the intelligent automatic washing, drying, and collecting management system of claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Clothing delivery and activation: The control center adopts a hybrid access mode, supporting two service entry points: "user self-delivery" (offline ordering) and "door-to-door clothing collection" (online ordering). It also performs task scheduling and resource planning to ensure flexibility and efficiency. Receive user orders and generate clothing tags: Identify the received clothing information and user information; Washing and spin-drying: The control center issues a washing task command, and the washing machine automatically starts the preset washing program. After the control system inside the washing machine confirms that all preset programs have been completed, the control center automatically triggers the next stage of automatic clothing transfer function, that is, the first robotic arm puts the clothes onto the conveyor belt. After washing, the clothes are automatically transferred to the drying area for drying and sterilization: the conveyor belt transports the clothes to the second drying area, where the second robotic arm places the clothes on the drying racks; the clothes are then allowed to air dry naturally. Intelligent drying and monitoring of clothing: The second robotic arm takes out the clothes one by one from the transmission area and hangs them on the intelligent clothes rack in the drying area that has been positioned and bound with information. At the same time, the sterilization module and drying module in the drying area start working to sterilize and dry the clothes. Intelligent collection and storage of clothing: After drying, the second robotic arm folds and repackages the clothes. The repackaged clothes are then sent to the storage area, and the control center sends a retrieval prompt. The user can then pick up the clothes themselves or they can be delivered by staff.

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