Electronic nose with gas exchange system and robot

Abstract

It accurately detects gases while avoiding mutual interference in different spaces. [Solution] An electronic nose equipped with a gas exchange system according to one embodiment includes an air supply unit, a detection unit, an extraction unit, and a processing unit, wherein the air supply unit includes first and second air supply channels, the detection unit includes a chamber and a detection module, the detection module includes a gas detection element and one or more environmental detection elements, the extraction unit is connected to the chamber, and the processing unit is connected to the detection module, wherein the electronic nose equipped with a gas exchange system allows an external gas to enter the chamber through the first air supply channel via a filter, continues until the detection signal obtained by the detection unit and the environmental parameters obtained by the environmental detection elements reach an equilibrium state, and then allows the external gas to enter the chamber through the second air supply channel, and is configured to obtain decision information related to the external gas based on the detection signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic nose, and particularly to an electronic nose equipped with a gas exchange system and suitable for being mounted on a robot.

Background Art

[0002] Robots are widely used in various application fields in modern society, including factory automation, home care, environmental exploration, disaster relief, security patrol, gas detection, etc. Generally, robots are provided with various sensing devices to detect the surrounding environment and take appropriate actions. Among these sensing devices, an electronic nose is a sensing device that can distinguish and quantify simple and complex odors. It uses gas sensors to detect gases in the environment, performs comparison and analysis, and then realizes many functions such as detection and warning of harmful gases, monitoring of air quality, monitoring of dangerous situations such as fire or gas leakage, applications to diseases and public health, and food analysis.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In the conventional electronic nose technology, when continuously inhaling the gas to be detected, since the electronic nose mounted on the robot is in a state of continuously or intermittently moving, the gas in the previous position space interferes with the detection of the gas in the next position space, affecting its accuracy or correctness. Alternatively, some electronic nose devices need to be used in combination with an air purification device, so the overall cost is high and the volume is very large, which is not suitable for the use scenario of a mobile robot.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an electronic nose equipped with a gas exchange system including an air supply unit, a detection unit, an extraction unit, and a processing unit, wherein the air supply unit includes a filter, a first air supply channel, and a second air supply channel, the filter communicating with the first air supply channel; the detection unit includes a chamber and a detection module, the chamber communicating with the first air supply channel and the second air supply channel; the detection module includes a gas detection element and one or more environmental detection elements, the gas detection element detecting the gas in the chamber and generating a detection signal in response to the gas in the chamber; the environmental detection element detecting one or more environmental parameters of the chamber; the extraction unit is connected to the chamber; and the processing unit is connected to the detection module and receives the detection signal generated by the detection module.

[0005] The electronic nose is configured to first allow an external gas to enter the chamber through a first air supply channel via a filter, and after a first time interval, the detection signal and the environmental parameters reach an equilibrium state, and then close the first air supply channel, wherein the external gas entering the chamber through the first air supply channel has substantially the same flow rate, and the equilibrium state is such that, within a certain range within the first time interval, the detection signal and the environmental parameters are each continuously maintained substantially constant; and then, the electronic nose is configured to first allow the external gas to enter the chamber through a second air supply channel, and after a second time interval, once the detection signal has stabilized, obtain decision information related to the external gas based on the detection signal generated by the external gas entering the chamber through the second air supply channel.

[0006] The present invention also provides a robot comprising a robot body and the above-mentioned electronic nose, wherein the electronic nose is provided on the robot body and communicates with the outside. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a robot according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] This is a schematic diagram of an electronic nose according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] This is a schematic diagram of an electronic nose according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of an electronic nose according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the operating procedure for one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram of the resistance change in one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] In this specification, please understand that the terms used in the descriptions of various embodiments are for the purpose of describing specific examples, not to impose limitations. Unless otherwise explicitly indicated in the context or specifically limited to a number of elements, the singular forms “one” and “the relevant” as used herein also include the plural forms. Furthermore, please understand that, as used herein, the terms “include” and / or “contain” mean that the described features, elements and / or components exist and do not exclude the addition or existence of one or more other features, elements, components and / or groups thereof. The indefinite and definite articles include both singular and plural forms unless it is clearly indicated in the context that one refers to the other.

[0009] The present invention discloses an electronic nose equipped with a gas exchange system, which in one example is suitable for mounting on a robot, which may be an autonomous mobile robot, an automated guided vehicle, an articulated robot, a humanoid robot, a collaborative robot or a hybrid robot, a mechanical robot or a bionic robot, and non-limiting specific examples include, for example, a security robot, an exploration robot or a home care robot. Although these examples have been given, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the robots used herein should be interpreted broadly.

[0010] Figure 1 shows a robot 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is a wheeled robot equipped with an electronic nose 20. The robot 10 comprises a robot body 11, and the electronic nose 20 is mounted on the robot body 11. The electronic nose 20 performs real-time gas detection by exposing at least a portion of it from the housing of the robot 10 and coming into contact with the external gas. The electronic nose 20 allows the robot 10 to continuously monitor changes in the gas in the surrounding environment and take necessary actions based on the detection results. The external gas refers to the environmental gas in the space where the robot 10 or the electronic nose 20 is located.

[0011] For example, in a factory or home environment, there may be excess levels of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and formaldehyde. The robot 10, using its electronic nose 20, can replace manual work to detect whether these harmful gases are present, whether their concentrations exceed safety standards, and can then generate corresponding warnings or take action such as activating a ventilation system to improve the flow of gases to the outside. Alternatively, in unknown or extreme environments such as the deep sea, caves, or outer space, a mobile robot 10 can be employed to analyze the gases in the environment in real time using its electronic nose 20, thereby providing information on the gas composition of that environment.

[0012] Referring to Figure 2A, according to one example of the present invention, the electronic nose 20 includes an air supply unit 21, a detection unit 22, an air extraction unit 23, and a processing unit 24.

[0013] The air intake port of the air supply unit 21 communicates with the outside, and in one example, the air intake port is provided in the housing of the robot 10 so as to come into contact with the external gas and enter the electronic nose 20. The detection unit 22 includes a chamber 220 and a detection module, the detection module may, but is not limited to, be located inside the chamber 220, and the detection module may be located in another location that can detect the inside of the chamber 220, the chamber 220 includes one or more air intake ports and an exhaust port, the upstream of the chamber 220 is fluidly connected to the air supply unit 21 by the air intake port to receive the external gas introduced from the air supply unit 21, the downstream of the chamber 220 is fluidly connected to the extraction unit 23 by the exhaust port, and the negative pressure generated by the extraction unit 23 facilitates the introduction of the external gas from the air supply unit 21 to the chamber 220 and further discharge from the extraction unit 23.

[0014] The processing unit 24 is connected to the air supply unit 21 and the air extraction unit 23, and performs channel control and flow rate control, respectively. The air supply unit 21 is configured to selectively introduce either external gas (unfiltered gas awaiting detection) or filtered external gas (filtered gas). The processing unit 24 controls which gas the air supply unit 21 passes through before entering the chamber 220, and controls or adjusts the flow rate of the external gas flowing into or passing through the chamber 220 by controlling the opening and closing of the air extraction unit 23 and the magnitude of the negative pressure.

[0015] In one example, the air supply unit 21 may include two gas pipelines, for example, a first air supply channel 210, a second air supply channel 211, and a filter 212, the filter 212 being located within the first air supply channel 210 (or before or after the first air supply channel 210). The first air supply channel 210 introduces the filtered external gas into the chamber 220, and the second air supply channel 211 introduces the unfiltered external gas into the chamber 220. In one example, valve bodies 213 and 214 are connected to the first air supply channel 210 and the second air supply channel 211, respectively, and the valve bodies 213 and 214 are connected to and controlled by a processing unit 24. Alternatively, in another example, the electronic nose 20 may include a three-way valve 215, as shown in Figure 3, which is connected to and controlled by a processing unit 24, and is located after the first and second air supply channels 210 and 211 to selectively connect the first air supply channel 210 to the chamber 220 or the second air supply channel 211 to the chamber 220. In one example, the filter 212 may be an activated carbon filter element for adsorbing or filtering volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0016] Returning to Figure 2A, the detection module includes a gas detection element 221 and one or more environmental detection elements 222. As shown in Figure 2B, the gas detection element 221 and the environmental detection elements 222 can be installed inside the chamber 220, or at least a portion of them can be exposed inside the chamber 220. However, the detection module can be installed in other locations that allow detection of the interior of the chamber 220, and only needs to be able to detect the gas inside the chamber 220 by contact. In one example, the gas detection element 221 is a device that can react to a gas and generate or change an electrical signal, such as a chemical resistance (or electrochemical) gas sensor array or a semiconductor gas detector. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and other forms or structures of gas detection chips, such as optical gas sensors or electrochemical gas sensors, can also be used as the gas detection element 221.

[0017] The gas detection element 221 can detect the gas or changes in the gas in the chamber 220, and can also detect the type of gas in the chamber 220, whether one or more specific components are present in the gas, the concentration or amount of such specific components (or whether it reaches a specific value), whether the gas in the chamber 220 conforms to a specific composition, or changes in specific components, composition, or concentration of the gas in the chamber 220. Such specific components are, for example, oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, chlorine, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, natural gas, liquefied gas, methane, propane, etc., and such specific compositions are, for example, toxic gases, flammable gases, etc.

[0018] The gas detection element 221 detects the gas in the chamber 220 and generates a detection signal, which is a response to the gas in the chamber 220. When a chemical resistance gas sensor array is used, the detection signal is a resistance value (e.g., changing from 0 to a certain value) or a change in resistance value (e.g., an initial first value changing to a second value) generated in response to the reaction between the gas and the sensor array. The detection signal can be used to obtain decision information related to the external gas, which may include the presence of one or more specific components in the external gas, the concentration or amount of such specific components (or reaching a specific value), whether the external gas conforms to a specific composition, or whether a specific component, composition, or concentration of the external gas has changed.

[0019] The environmental sensing element 222 detects one or more environmental parameters in the chamber 220, which may include temperature, humidity, pressure (atmospheric pressure), or any combination thereof. Referring to Figure 3, depending on the detected environmental parameter, the environmental sensing element 222 may include a temperature sensing element 222a, a humidity sensing element 222b, a pressure (atmospheric pressure) sensing element 222c, or any combination thereof. The temperature sensing element 222a, humidity sensing element 222b, and pressure sensing element 222c measure the temperature, humidity, and pressure in the chamber 220, respectively.

[0020] In the example shown in Figure 3, the electronic nose 20 is mounted on the robot 10 in module form, and the processing unit 24 may be further connected to the control unit 30 of the robot 10. The control unit 30 may include a processor 31, a database 32, and a transmission interface 33, and the control unit 30 can control the processing unit 24, receive signals from the processing unit 24, or be used as a connection path to other external elements of the electronic nose 20. In one example, the processor 31 can receive and process the detection signal from the gas detection element 221 and the environmental parameters from the environmental detection element 222, for example, by comparing the detection signal with data in the database 32 to generate analysis results related to the external gas. In one example, the processor 31 may be a processor capable of performing artificial intelligence calculations, so that the robot 10 can perform generating artificial intelligence calculations on the detection signal and / or the environmental parameters locally. In other examples, the control unit 30 may be connected to an external device 40, such as a server or an external database, via a transmission interface 33, and the transmission interface 33 may be hardware compatible with a wired or wireless communication protocol, the communication protocol being at least one of, for example, WiFi, BLE, Bluetooth®, Z-Wave, USB, and Zigbee. In other examples, it can be understood that the control unit 30 is not limited to the above configuration and may be used as a module integrated with the electronic nose 20.

[0021] Refer to FIGS. 4 and 5 together, which are the operating procedures of the electronic nose 20. The detection of the electronic nose 20 mainly includes two stages. The first is the pre-detection stage P1, and the second is the detection stage P2. In the pre-detection stage P1, the processing unit 24 starts the air extraction unit 23 and controls the air supply unit 21 so that the filtered external gas (filtered gas) enters the chamber 220 (operation 50). The filtered gas can be regarded as background gas that can bring the chamber 220 to an equilibrium state before detection rather than the gas waiting for detection, or cleaning gas for cleaning the chamber 220. In some embodiments, the pre-detection stage P1 can also be regarded as a pre-cleaning stage.

[0022] The processing unit 24 receives the detection signal obtained by the gas detection element 221 and the environmental parameters obtained by the environmental detection element 222, and observes and determines whether the equilibrium state has been reached based on the numerical values ​​of the detection signal and the environmental parameters (operation 51). The equilibrium state refers to whether the detection signal and one or more environmental parameters in the chamber 220 have reached equilibrium values, and the environmental parameters may be temperature, humidity and / or pressure. The definition of the equilibrium state includes both the case where one environmental parameter (e.g., only temperature) has reached equilibrium and the case where multiple environmental parameters have reached equilibrium, and it is understood that the more environmental parameters that have reached equilibrium, the more advantageous it is for detection. Reaching the equilibrium value means that the detection signal and the environmental parameters in the chamber 220 are substantially constant. For example, substantially constant may mean that they are substantially the same over time, and may change within a range of positive or negative values, for example, within ±10%, ±5%, or ±1%. The processing unit 24 can determine whether the equilibrium state has been reached. For example, it can determine if the resistance value and the environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, pressure, or any combination thereof) remain substantially constant for a set time threshold. In other words, the equilibrium state is one in which the detection signal and the environmental parameters are continuously maintained substantially constant within a certain range of the pre-detection stage P1. In one example, the extraction unit 23 is controlled so that the flow rate of the filtered gas entering the chamber 220 remains substantially constant, and the stable flow rate of the gas passing through the chamber 220 is advantageous for reaching the equilibrium state in a short time.

[0023] As shown in Figure 5, in the pre-detection stage P1, the resistance value of the detection signal generated by the gas detection element 221 gradually increases over time from the initial resistance R0, and stabilizes at a first resistance value R1 (time T1), at which point the equilibrium state is reached. The time from the start to T1 is the first time interval.

[0024] When the equilibrium state is reached, the detection stage P2 is entered (operation 52). In this example, entering from the pre-detection stage P1 to the detection stage P2, the processing unit 24 maintains the activation of the air extraction unit 23 and controls the air supply unit 21 so that the unfiltered external gas (filtered gas) enters the chamber 220. The flowing gas in the chamber 220 is the unfiltered external gas waiting for detection. In this example, the air supply unit 21 is continuously activated. In the pre-detection stage P1, the first air supply channel 210 is opened and the second air supply channel 211 is closed. In the detection stage P2, the second air supply channel 211 is opened and the first air supply channel 210 is closed.

[0025] When the gas introduced into the chamber 220 is different (different from the gas introduced in the pre-detection stage P1), as shown in FIG. 5, the resistance value of the detection signal generated by the gas detection element 221 changes from the first resistance value R1 to the second resistance value R2 and becomes stable after a certain time (it is the time T2, and the time interval from T1 to T2 is the second time interval). The second resistance value R2 responds to one or more properties of the unfiltered external gas, and the determination information of the external gas is obtained based on the second resistance value R2. The processing unit 24 receives the detection signal obtained by the gas detection element 221 and the environmental parameter obtained by the environmental detection element 222 (operation 53), and obtains the determination information based on the detection signal. In one example, all the above detections are performed at room temperature, that is, the gas in the chamber 220 is not heated. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In some examples, the detection can also be performed while heating the gas in the chamber 220. It should be understood that the determination information of the external gas is independent of the detection signal in the first time interval and is only related to the detection signal obtained in the detection stage P2.

[0026] In one example, the equilibrium state specifically refers to the state in which the gas in the chamber 220 is flowing (i.e., it is an airflow and not a stationary gas). In one example, when moving from the pre-detection stage P1 to the detection stage P2, the extraction unit 23 is not closed, and therefore the external gas is introduced into the chamber 220 from the first supply channel 210, and then continuously (without interruption) switched to being introduced into the chamber 220 from the second supply channel 211. Furthermore, the filtered external gas is a first airflow flowing in the chamber 220, and the external gas is a second airflow flowing in the chamber 220, and the first airflow flowing in the pre-detection stage P1 and the second airflow flowing in the detection stage P2 have substantially the same flow rate. When moving from the pre-detection stage P1 to the detection stage P2, the extraction unit 23 is not closed, that is, the airflow continues to flow in the chamber 220, but it is a different gas. As can be understood, the degree to which the environmental parameters in chamber 220 fluctuate becomes smaller, meaning that the equilibrium state is less affected or destroyed, and the environment within chamber 220 does not need to re-establish equilibrium, thus improving the accuracy of measurements and reducing time. In the operation described above, the equilibrium state can be interpreted as dynamic equilibrium.

[0027] In this invention, when introducing and detecting the external gas, the stability of the detection environment is maintained, and accurate detection results can only be obtained once this equilibrium state is reached. Therefore, before introducing the unfiltered gas awaiting detection, the environment in the chamber 220 is first maintained in this dynamic equilibrium; that is, while the gas is flowing, each environmental parameter is maintained substantially constant, and then, without stopping the gas flow, the unfiltered gas awaiting detection is switched on and introduced, maintaining substantially the same flow rate (i.e., the atmospheric pressure in the chamber 220 is maintained to be substantially the same in the two stages).

[0028] However, in some aspects of the present invention, the equilibrium state is not necessarily the dynamic equilibrium, but may be static equilibrium, and the difference in operation is that after the pre-detection stage P1 is completed, the extraction unit 23 is first closed to bring the detection signal and the numerical values ​​of the environmental parameters to the equilibrium state under conditions where there is no gas flowing in the chamber 220, before proceeding to the detection stage P2. According to one aspect of the present invention, the electronic nose 20 may be operated selectively in the mode of the dynamic equilibrium or the static equilibrium.

[0029] In short, the electronic nose of the present invention performs the function of gas exchange by utilizing a design with two supply channels. Although it continuously introduces gas, it first introduces filtered gas rather than continuously introducing gas awaiting detection, thus solving the signal interference problem present in conventional robotic electronic noses. Furthermore, while conventional robotic electronic noses sometimes perform pre-detection cleaning with clean gas before detection, closing the pump between the two stages (pre-cleaning and detection), the dynamic equilibrium mode of the present invention employs an operating method that does not close the extraction unit, thereby enabling more efficient gas detection. In addition, since gas is continuously introduced into the chamber from before detection until detection, the detection signal changes stably without drastic changes due to instantaneous environmental changes, compared to systems that do not introduce gas into the chamber before detection and only introduce gas at the time of detection, thereby ensuring detection accuracy. Moreover, the rapid pre-cleaning operation prevents interference between background gases in different spaces when a mobile robot moves and detects in different spaces. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0030] 10 Robots 11. Robot body 20 electronic nose 21 Air supply unit 210 First air supply channel 211 Second air supply channel 212 filters 213, 214 Valve bodies 215 Three-way valve 22 detection units 220 Chambers 221 Gas detection elements 222 Related to environmental detection 222a Related to temperature detection 222b Humidity sensing element 222c pressure sensing element 23. Extraction Unit 24 processing units 30 Control Units 31 processors 32 Databases 33 Transmission Interface 40 External device 50, 51, 52, 53 operations P1 Pre-detection stage P2 detection stage R0 Initial resistance R1 First resistance value R2 Second resistance value T1 time T2 hours

Claims

1. An electronic nose equipped with a gas exchange system, The system includes a filter, a first air supply channel, and a second air supply channel, wherein the filter is connected to the first air supply channel and comprises an air supply unit. The system includes a chamber and a detection module, the chamber communicating with the first air supply channel and the second air supply channel, the detection module including a gas detection element and one or more environmental detection elements, the gas detection element detecting the gas in the chamber and generating a detection signal in response to the gas in the chamber, and the environmental detection element being a detection unit that detects one or more environmental parameters of the chamber. A bleed unit connected to the chamber, The processing unit includes, which is connected to the detection module and receives the detection signal generated by the detection module, The steps include: allowing an external gas to enter the chamber through the first air supply channel via the filter, and closing the first air supply channel after the detection signal and the environmental parameters have reached an equilibrium state for a first time interval, wherein the external gas entering the chamber through the first air supply channel has substantially the same flow rate, and the equilibrium state is such that the detection signal and the environmental parameters are each continuously maintained substantially constant within a certain range within the first time interval; The system is configured to allow the external gas to enter the chamber through the second air supply channel, and to perform the step of obtaining decision information related to the external gas based on the detection signal generated by the external gas entering the chamber through the second air supply channel, after the detection signal has stabilized for a second time interval. electronic nose.

2. The electronic nose according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is connected to a control unit, the control unit includes a processor capable of performing artificial intelligence calculations and a database, and the processor is configured to perform artificial intelligence calculations based on the database and the detection signals to generate analysis results.

3. The electronic nose according to claim 1, wherein the electronic nose is configured to first introduce the external gas through the first air supply channel, then switch to introducing the external gas by continuously supplying air through the second air supply channel, and when the equilibrium state is reached and the external gas is introduced through the second air supply channel, the environmental parameters are maintained substantially constant.

4. The electronic nose according to claim 1, wherein the determination information of the external gas is independent of the detection signal of the first time interval.

5. The robot body and A robot comprising an electronic nose according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is provided on the robot body and communicates with the outside.

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