Method and apparatus for controlling cleaning device, program product, medium, and cleaning device

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a cleaning device, a program product, a medium, and a cleaning device (101). The cleaning device (101) comprises a robotic arm (102), the robotic arm (102) being used to grasp an object (104) so as to transport the object (104). The control method comprises: if a cleaning device (101), while transporting a target object (104), encounters an obstacle (105) to be traversed, controlling the cleaning device (101) to place the target object (104) grasped by a robotic arm (102) onto the ground (310); after the cleaning device (101) places the target object (104) grasped by the robotic arm (102) onto the ground, controlling the cleaning device (101) to traverse the obstacle in an unloaded state (320); and after the cleaning device (101) traverses the obstacle (105), controlling the cleaning device (101) to re-grasp the target object (104) by means of the robotic arm (102), so as to continue transporting the target object (104) (330).

Description

Cleaning equipment control methods, devices, procedures, products, media, and cleaning equipment

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application is based on and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411496894.8, filed on October 24, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application belongs to the field of cleaning equipment control technology, and in particular relates to a cleaning equipment control method, device, program product, medium and cleaning equipment. Background Technology

[0004] Cleaning equipment (such as robot vacuums and robot mops) is now widely used in households, as it can perform housework for users, bringing them great convenience. In addition to cleaning floors, cleaning equipment can also organize clutter. In the process of organizing clutter, the robotic arm equipped in the cleaning equipment usually needs to grab and move objects. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of this application provide a cleaning equipment control method, apparatus, program product, medium, and cleaning equipment, which can at least to some extent improve the stability of the cleaning equipment in handling objects.

[0006] Other features and advantages of this application will become apparent from the following detailed description, or may be learned in part from practice of this application.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a cleaning equipment control method is provided. The cleaning equipment includes a robotic arm for grasping and transporting objects. The method includes: if the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the transport of a target object, controlling the cleaning equipment to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground; after the cleaning equipment places the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground, controlling the cleaning equipment to cross the obstacle in an unloaded state; and after the cleaning equipment crosses the obstacle, controlling the cleaning equipment to re-grab the target object using the robotic arm to continue transporting the target object.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the method further includes: if the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be overcome during the process of transporting the target object, and the weight of the target object is greater than or equal to a preset weight threshold, then the cleaning device is controlled to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the method further includes: if the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting the target object, and the projected length of the part of the robotic arm extending out of the cleaning device body in the target posture on the ground is greater than the width of the obstacle, then the cleaning device is controlled to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground, wherein the target posture is the posture of the robotic arm grasping and placing the object on the ground.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, controlling the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground includes: controlling the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at a target position on the ground, wherein the distance between the target position and the obstacle is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the target location is located outside the target area, and the target area is the area that the cleaning equipment travels through when it is moving in an unloaded state.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the target location and the location of the cleaning device before it crosses the obstacle are on the same side of the obstacle; or the target location and the location of the cleaning device before it crosses the obstacle are on opposite sides of the obstacle.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, controlling the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at a target position on the ground includes: controlling the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to travel a first distance along the obstacle; and after the cleaning device has traveled a first distance along the obstacle, controlling the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at the target position on the ground.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the method further includes: controlling the cleaning device to walk toward the obstacle in a direction perpendicular to the obstacle until the distance between the end of the robotic arm away from the body of the cleaning device and the obstacle is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold in a target posture, wherein the target posture is the posture of the robotic arm in grasping and placing objects on the ground.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, controlling the cleaning device to cross the obstacle in an unloaded state includes: controlling the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to travel a second distance along the obstacle, wherein the direction of the cleaning device traveling the first distance is opposite to the direction of the cleaning device traveling the second distance; after the cleaning device has traveled the second distance along the obstacle, controlling the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to cross the obstacle.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the second distance is equal to the first distance.

[0017] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, controlling the cleaning device to re-grab the target object via the robotic arm includes: controlling the cleaning device to walk along the obstacle to a position close to the target location, so as to re-grab the target object via the robotic arm.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the method further includes: if the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting the target object, and the weight of the target object is less than a preset weight threshold, then the cleaning device is controlled to cross the obstacle in a loaded state.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the method further includes: if the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting the target object, and the projected length of the part of the robotic arm extending out of the cleaning device body in the target posture on the ground is less than or equal to the width of the obstacle, then the cleaning device is controlled to cross the obstacle in a loaded state, wherein the target posture is the posture of the robotic arm grasping and placing the object on the ground.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a cleaning equipment control device is provided. The cleaning equipment includes a robotic arm for grasping and transporting objects. The device includes: a first control unit for controlling the cleaning equipment to place the object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground if the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the transport of the target object; a second control unit for controlling the cleaning equipment to cross the obstacle in an unloaded state after the object is placed on the ground; and a third control unit for controlling the cleaning equipment to re-grab the target object using the robotic arm after the obstacle has been crossed, so as to continue transporting the target object.

[0021] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium and adapted to be read and executed by a processor to cause a computer device having the processor to perform an operation as described in any of the embodiments of the first aspect above.

[0022] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing at least one computer program instruction, the at least one computer program instruction being loaded and executed by a processor to perform the operation performed by the method described in any of the embodiments of the first aspect above.

[0023] According to a fifth aspect of the present application, a cleaning device is provided, the cleaning device including one or more processors and one or more memories, the one or more memories storing at least one computer program instruction, the at least one computer program instruction being loaded and executed by the one or more processors to perform the operation as described in any of the first aspect embodiments above.

[0024] Based on the technical solution proposed in this application, by temporarily placing the target object before obstacle crossing, the cleaning equipment can cross the obstacle in an unloaded state. This can, to a certain extent, avoid the instability of the cleaning equipment's center of gravity during obstacle crossing, which could lead to tilting and swaying of the machine. This effectively avoids the risk of the target object falling during obstacle crossing. After crossing the obstacle, the target object is re-grabbed to continue transporting the object, ensuring the effective execution of the object transport task. In this way, the technical solution proposed in this application can significantly improve the stability of the cleaning equipment during object transport.

[0025] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and do not limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort. In the drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 shows a side view of a scene where a cleaning device is moving an object in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 shows a top view of a scene where cleaning equipment moves objects in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 3 shows a flowchart of the cleaning equipment control method in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 4 shows a scene demonstration of the cleaning equipment moving objects in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 5 shows a scene demonstration of the cleaning equipment moving objects in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 6 shows a scene demonstration of the cleaning equipment moving objects in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 7 shows a block diagram of a cleaning equipment control device in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the cleaning equipment in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0036] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the following description to give a thorough understanding of embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this application can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, apparatuses, steps, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known methods, apparatuses, implementations, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this application.

[0037] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities can be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices. It should also be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, certain components in the drawings that do not affect the interpretation of the technical solution of this application have been appropriately omitted.

[0038] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative and do not necessarily include all content and operations / steps, nor do they necessarily have to be performed in the described order. For example, some operations / steps can be broken down, while others can be combined or partially combined; therefore, the actual execution order may change depending on the specific circumstances.

[0039] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more.

[0040] Cleaning equipment (such as robotic vacuums and mops) is now widely used in households, replacing users in household chores and bringing great convenience. Besides cleaning floors, cleaning equipment can also organize clutter. In this process, the robotic arm within the cleaning equipment typically grabs and moves objects. However, in some scenarios, the cleaning equipment may need to overcome low obstacles, such as thresholds, during object movement, affecting the normal execution of the task. Therefore, improving the stability of cleaning equipment in moving objects is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved.

[0041] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand this application, the application scenarios involved in this application will be briefly explained first with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0042] Referring to Figure 1, a side view of a scene where a cleaning device is moving an object is shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0043] Referring to Figure 2, a top view of a scene where a cleaning device is moving an object is shown in an embodiment of this application.

[0044] In this application, as shown in Figure 1, the cleaning equipment 101 involved can be a sweeper, a mop, a sweeper-mop combo, or any other type of cleaning equipment. This application does not make any specific limitations in this regard.

[0045] Furthermore, the cleaning equipment 101 can move linearly along the x and y axes, move linearly along the z axis (with the wheels lifting), and rotate along the z axis. Additionally, its chassis can be a wheeled or tracked movable chassis. The x and y axes are parallel to the horizontal plane (i.e., the ground), and the z axis is perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0046] It should be noted that, as shown in Figure 1, the shape of the cleaning device 101 can be circular, but in other embodiments, the shape of the cleaning device can also be rectangular, trapezoidal, or other irregular shapes. This application does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the cleaning device 101 may include a robotic arm 102 and a gripper 103. The gripper 103 is located at the end of the robotic arm 102 away from the body of the cleaning device 101, and the robotic arm 102 can be used to cooperate with the gripper 103 to grasp objects. It should be noted that the robotic arm 102 shown in Figure 1 may have two degrees of freedom, three degrees of freedom, or four degrees of freedom; this application does not specifically limit this.

[0048] In practical applications, the cleaning device 101 can organize objects in a room by moving them. For example, objects may be randomly placed or dropped on the floor of a user's room, making the floor messy. Therefore, in addition to cleaning the floor, the cleaning device proposed in this application can also achieve the function of automatically organizing the room. That is, the cleaning device can automatically identify obstacles on the floor and mark their locations while cleaning the floor, and automatically sort and organize the obstacles on the floor after cleaning. For example, it can place slippers at the door, put toys in the children's room, and throw paper balls into the trash can.

[0049] In this application, referring to Figures 1 and 2, the cleaning device 101 uses grippers 103 on the robotic arm 102 to grasp objects 104 and move in direction A. However, in some scenarios, low obstacles 105 such as thresholds, doorsteps, and sliding door tracks often appear on the floor 100 of a user's room. To achieve a wider range of transport, the cleaning device 101 needs to overcome these low obstacles with a load, i.e., obstacle crossing. However, if the robotic arm 102 directly crosses the obstacle while grasping the object, the large movement of the cleaning device 101 during obstacle crossing may cause the grasped object to shake or even fall. The fallen object may then block the walking path of the cleaning device 101, affecting the object transport task and thus the stability of the cleaning device in transporting objects. In this case, this application proposes a cleaning device control method to improve the stability of the cleaning device in transporting objects.

[0050] Referring to Figure 3, a flowchart of a cleaning equipment control method according to an embodiment of this application is shown. This method can be applied to the cleaning equipment shown in Figures 1 and 2, i.e., the cleaning equipment includes a robotic arm for grasping and transporting objects. Specifically, this method can be executed by a device with computational processing capabilities. Referring to Figure 3, the cleaning equipment control method includes at least steps 310 to 330, which are described in detail below:

[0051] Step 310: If the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be overcome during the process of transporting the target object, the cleaning equipment is controlled to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground.

[0052] Step 320: After the cleaning device places the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground, control the cleaning device to cross the obstacle in an unloaded state.

[0053] Step 330: After the cleaning equipment passes the obstacle, control the cleaning equipment to re-grab the target object through the robotic arm to continue transporting the target object.

[0054] In this application, an image acquisition device may be installed on the cleaning equipment to acquire environmental images (which can be two-dimensional images or three-dimensional point cloud images) along the walking direction of the cleaning equipment, so as to determine the position of obstacles based on the environmental images. The image acquisition device may be located at the end of the robotic arm furthest from the cleaning equipment body, or directly in front of the chassis of the cleaning equipment, or on the top of the chassis of the cleaning equipment. This application does not impose further limitations on this.

[0055] Based on the technical solution proposed in this application, if the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be overcome during the transport of a target object, it can control the cleaning equipment to place the target object gripped by the robotic arm on the ground, so that the cleaning equipment can overcome the obstacle in an unloaded state. After the cleaning equipment overcomes the obstacle, it can control the cleaning equipment to re-grab the target object using the robotic arm, thereby continuing to transport the target object. The advantage is that by temporarily placing the target object before overcoming the obstacle, allowing the cleaning equipment to overcome the obstacle in an unloaded state, it can avoid the risk of the cleaning equipment tilting and swaying due to instability during obstacle crossing, thus effectively avoiding the risk of the target object falling during obstacle crossing. Re-grabbing the target object after overcoming the obstacle ensures the effective execution of the object transport task, thereby significantly improving the stability of the cleaning equipment during object transport. Furthermore, unloaded obstacle crossing can reduce the energy consumption of the cleaning equipment, extend its endurance, and reduce wear on the robotic arm and grippers, thereby extending the service life of the cleaning equipment.

[0056] In other embodiments of this application, steps 311 and 312 may also be performed:

[0057] Step 311: If the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be overcome during the process of transporting the target object, and the weight of the target object is greater than or equal to a preset weight threshold, then the cleaning device is controlled to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground.

[0058] Step 312: If the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting the target object, and the weight of the target object is less than a preset weight threshold, then the cleaning equipment is controlled to cross the obstacle under load.

[0059] In this application, the cleaning device may be equipped with a force feedback sensor, wherein the feedback sensor may be installed on the gripper or robotic arm of the cleaning device for detecting the weight of the target object.

[0060] When the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be crossed while transporting a target object, if the weight of the target object is greater than or equal to a preset weight threshold, the cleaning equipment will place the target object, which is gripped by the robotic arm, on the ground and cross the obstacle in an unloaded state. If the weight of the target object is less than the preset weight threshold, the cleaning equipment can cross the obstacle in a loaded state, instead of crossing it in an unloaded state.

[0061] Based on the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the obstacle-crossing method of the cleaning equipment can be flexibly adjusted according to the weight of the target object, thereby improving the working efficiency and safety of the cleaning equipment.

[0062] Specifically, when the weight of the target object is greater than or equal to a preset weight threshold, it will affect the stability of the cleaning equipment. Therefore, the cleaning equipment can first place the target object on the ground and cross the obstacle in an unloaded state, thereby reducing the risk of tilting and object falling due to instability and ensuring the stability and safety of the cleaning equipment in transporting objects. This not only reduces the energy consumption of the cleaning equipment but also reduces the wear and tear on the mechanical parts, extending the service life of the cleaning equipment. When the weight of the target object is less than the preset weight threshold, the impact of the target object on the stability of the cleaning equipment is small. In this case, by controlling the cleaning equipment to directly cross the obstacle under load, the steps of placing and re-grabbing the object can be eliminated, improving the efficiency of the object transport task.

[0063] The dynamic adjustment method based on the weight of the target object in the embodiments of this application enhances the adaptability of the cleaning equipment to obstacle crossing methods (empty obstacle crossing method and loaded obstacle crossing method) in different scenarios, enabling it to operate flexibly in complex environments and ensuring the continuity and efficiency of performing object handling tasks.

[0064] In other embodiments of this application, steps 313 and 314 may also be performed:

[0065] Step 313: If the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be overcome during the process of transporting the target object, and the projected length of the part of the robotic arm extending out of the cleaning device body in the target posture on the ground is greater than the width of the obstacle, then the cleaning device is controlled to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground. The target posture is the posture of the robotic arm grasping and placing the object on the ground.

[0066] Step 314: If the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting the target object, and the projected length of the part of the robotic arm extending out of the cleaning equipment body in the target posture on the ground is less than or equal to the width of the obstacle, then control the cleaning equipment to cross the obstacle in a loaded state. The target posture is the posture of the robotic arm grasping and placing the object on the ground.

[0067] In this application, the width of the obstacle can be determined based on environmental images captured by the cleaning equipment.

[0068] In this application, to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the projected length, please refer to Figure 2. If the posture of the robotic arm 102 is that of grasping and placing an object on the ground (i.e., the target posture), then the length L is the projected length.

[0069] In other words, the projection length can refer to the distance between the projection point of the robotic arm's end effector (i.e., the end of the robotic arm furthest from the cleaning equipment body) on the ground (hereinafter referred to as the first projection point) and the projection point of the cleaning equipment body on the ground (hereinafter referred to as the second projection point). The first projection point can refer to a predetermined position, such as the center point, within the projection area of ​​the robotic arm's end effector on the ground. The second projection point can refer to the closest position of the cleaning equipment body within the projection area on the ground to the first projection point.

[0070] The width of an obstacle can refer to the size of the obstacle in the target direction. The target direction can be set as needed, such as the direction of the line connecting the first projection point and the second projection point, or the direction of travel of the cleaning equipment before it crosses the obstacle.

[0071] When the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be crossed while transporting a target object, if the projected length is greater than the width of the obstacle, the cleaning equipment can be controlled to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground and cross the obstacle in an unloaded state. If the projected length is less than or equal to the width of the obstacle, the cleaning equipment can be controlled to cross the obstacle in a loaded state.

[0072] The inventors of this application have discovered that if the projected length of the portion of the robotic arm extending beyond the body of the cleaning device on the ground is less than or equal to the width of the obstacle, then in one scenario, after the cleaning device places the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground on one side of the obstacle (the side the cleaning device was on before crossing the obstacle) and crosses the obstacle in an unloaded state, the robotic arm cannot cross the obstacle to grasp the target object on the ground on the side of the obstacle where the target object was placed; or in another scenario, before the cleaning device crosses the obstacle, the robotic arm is also unable to cross the obstacle to place the target object on the ground on the other side of the obstacle (the side the cleaning device is on after crossing the obstacle).

[0073] Based on the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, if the projection length is less than or equal to the width of the obstacle, by controlling the cleaning equipment to cross the obstacle in a loaded state, it is possible to avoid the situation where the cleaning equipment is unable to move the target object from one side of the obstacle to the other side. In this way, the risk of the cleaning equipment failing to move the target object can be greatly reduced, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the cleaning equipment in the process of moving the object.

[0074] In this application, the control of the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground can be performed according to the following step 300:

[0075] Step 300: Control the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at a target position on the ground, wherein the distance between the target position and the obstacle is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold.

[0076] Furthermore, in this application, the target position and the position of the cleaning device before crossing the obstacle can be on the same side of the obstacle, meaning the robotic arm does not need to cross the obstacle to place the target object on the ground. Alternatively, the target position and the position of the cleaning device before crossing the obstacle can be on opposite sides of the obstacle, meaning the robotic arm can cross the obstacle to place the target object on the ground.

[0077] In this application, by limiting the distance between the target position of the target object placed on the ground and the obstacle to be less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, it can be largely guaranteed that after the cleaning equipment crosses the obstacle in an unloaded state, the robotic arm can cross the obstacle again to grab the target object on the ground on the other side of the obstacle (the side where the cleaning equipment was before crossing the obstacle), or that the robotic arm can cross the obstacle and place the target object on the ground on the other side of the obstacle (the side where the cleaning equipment is after crossing the obstacle). This ensures the stability and reliability of the cleaning equipment during object handling.

[0078] Furthermore, in this application, the target location is located outside the target area, wherein the target area is the area that the cleaning equipment travels through when it is moving in an unloaded state.

[0079] By restricting the target location to outside the area traversed by the cleaning equipment when it is moving in an unloaded state, the target object can be prevented from obstructing the movement of the cleaning equipment. In this way, the stability and reliability of the cleaning equipment during the object handling process can be guaranteed.

[0080] Next, this application will provide a detailed description of step 300 above, namely, controlling the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at a target position on the ground, using some embodiments.

[0081] In some embodiments of this application, controlling the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at a target position on the ground can be performed according to the following steps 302 to 303:

[0082] Step 302: Control the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to travel a first distance along the obstacle.

[0083] Step 303: After the cleaning device has traveled a first distance along the obstacle, control the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at the target position on the ground.

[0084] "Walking along an obstacle" can refer to the cleaning equipment moving along the contour of the obstacle's surface.

[0085] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, the following step 301 may also be performed:

[0086] Step 301: Control the cleaning device to walk toward the obstacle in a direction perpendicular to the obstacle until the distance between the end of the robotic arm away from the body of the cleaning device and the obstacle is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold in the target posture. The target posture is the posture of the robotic arm in grasping and placing objects on the ground.

[0087] The direction perpendicular to the obstacle can refer to the direction in which the cleaning equipment moves directly toward the point closest to the obstacle.

[0088] Step 301 can be performed either before or after the cleaning device is controlled to adjust its orientation to travel a first distance along the obstacle; this application does not limit this. The following embodiment illustrates step 301 as being performed before the cleaning device is controlled to adjust its orientation to travel a first distance along the obstacle.

[0089] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the embodiments of this application, a specific embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG4.

[0090] Referring to Figure 4, a scene demonstration diagram of the cleaning equipment moving objects according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0091] As shown in sub-figure (a) of Figure 4, the cleaning device 101 can first be controlled to walk in direction A (where direction A is perpendicular to the obstacle 105 and is the direction in which the cleaning device 101 moves directly toward the point closest to the obstacle) until the robotic arm 102 stops walking when the distance between the end of the robotic arm 102 away from the body of the cleaning device 101 and the obstacle 105 is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold in the target posture.

[0092] As shown in sub-figure (b) of Figure 4, after the cleaning device 101 stops moving, it can be controlled to adjust its orientation according to the rotation direction B until it stops rotating when it is aligned with the length direction of the obstacle 105. Since the shape of the projection of the obstacle 105 on the ground is rectangular, the direction of the surface contour of the obstacle 105 is the length direction of the obstacle 105, which is direction C in sub-figure (c) of Figure 4.

[0093] As shown in sub-figure (c) of Figure 4, after the cleaning device 101 stops rotating, it can be controlled to travel a first distance along the obstacle 105 in direction C (the first distance can be determined based on factors such as the length of the obstacle and the position of the cleaning device before traveling along the obstacle).

[0094] As shown in sub-figure (d) of Figure 4, after the cleaning device 101 has traveled a first distance along the obstacle 105, the cleaning device 101 can be controlled to adjust its orientation according to the rotation direction D so as to place the target object 104 grasped by the robotic arm 102 on the ground near the target position of the obstacle 105, as shown in sub-figure (e) of Figure 4.

[0095] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, as shown in sub-figure (e) of FIG4, the robotic arm 102 places the grasped target object 104 on the ground near the target position of the obstacle 105, that is, on the left side of the obstacle in sub-figure (e). In other words, the target position and the position of the cleaning device before crossing the obstacle can be on the same side of the obstacle, that is, the robotic arm does not need to cross the obstacle to place the target object on the ground.

[0096] However, in other embodiments, the robotic arm 102 can also place the grasped target object 104 to the right of the obstacle in sub-figure (e). That is, the target position and the position of the cleaning device before crossing the obstacle can also be located on opposite sides of the obstacle, meaning the robotic arm can cross the obstacle to place the target object on the ground. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, in order to ensure that the robotic arm can cross the obstacle to place the target object on the ground, the preset distance threshold described in step 301 above needs to be smaller.

[0097] It should also be noted that controlling the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at the target position on the ground can also be achieved based on the walking strategy in other embodiments, and is not limited to the embodiments listed above. Next, based on the above embodiments, this application will provide a detailed description of step 320 shown in FIG3, that is, the step of controlling the cleaning device to cross the obstacle in an unloaded state.

[0098] In the embodiments of this application, controlling the cleaning device to cross the obstacle in an unloaded state can be performed according to the following steps 321 to 322:

[0099] Step 321: Control the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to travel a second distance along the obstacle, wherein the direction in which the cleaning device travels the first distance is opposite to the direction in which the cleaning device travels the second distance.

[0100] Step 322: After the cleaning device has traveled a second distance along the obstacle, control the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to pass over the obstacle.

[0101] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the embodiments of this application, a specific embodiment will be described below based on FIG4 and in conjunction with FIG5.

[0102] Referring to Figure 5, a scene demonstration diagram of the cleaning equipment moving objects according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0103] As shown in sub-figure (a) of Figure 5, the cleaning device 101 can first be controlled to adjust its orientation according to the rotation direction D until its orientation is opposite to the direction of travel of the cleaning device 101 for the first distance, at which point the rotation stops.

[0104] As shown in sub-figure (b) of Figure 5, after the cleaning device 101 stops rotating, the cleaning device 101 can be controlled to travel a second distance along the obstacle 105 in the direction E (the second distance can be determined based on factors such as the length of the obstacle, the position of the cleaning device before traveling along the obstacle, and the first distance).

[0105] As shown in sub-figure (c) of Figure 5, after the cleaning device 101 has traveled a second distance along the obstacle 105, the cleaning device 101 can be controlled to adjust its orientation according to the rotation direction B until its orientation is perpendicular to the obstacle 105 and then it stops rotating.

[0106] As shown in sub-figure (d) of Figure 5, after the cleaning device 101 stops rotating, it can be controlled to move in direction A to cross the obstacle 105, as shown in sub-figure (e) of Figure 5.

[0107] It should be noted that the first distance and the second distance may be equal or unequal. Specifically, the first distance can be determined based on factors such as the length of the obstacle and the position of the cleaning equipment before it travels along the obstacle. The second distance can be determined based on factors such as the length of the obstacle, the position of the cleaning equipment before it travels along the obstacle, and the first distance. This application does not impose any specific numerical limits on the first and second distances.

[0108] It should be noted that controlling the cleaning equipment to cross the obstacle in an unloaded state can also be achieved based on the walking strategy in other embodiments, and is not limited to the embodiments listed above.

[0109] Next, based on the above embodiments, this application will provide a detailed description of step 330 shown in FIG3, namely, the step of controlling the cleaning equipment to re-grab the target object through the robotic arm.

[0110] In the embodiments of this application, controlling the cleaning device to re-grab the target object via the robotic arm can be performed according to the following step 331:

[0111] Step 331: Control the cleaning equipment to move along the obstacle to a position close to the target location, so as to re-grab the target object by means of the robotic arm.

[0112] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the embodiments of this application, a specific embodiment will be described below based on Figures 4 and 5, in conjunction with Figure 6.

[0113] Referring to Figure 6, a scene demonstration diagram of the cleaning equipment moving objects in an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0114] As shown in sub-figure (a) of Figure 6, the cleaning device 101 can first be controlled to adjust its orientation according to the rotation direction B until its orientation is the same as the walking direction of the cleaning device 101 when it travels the first distance, at which point the rotation stops.

[0115] As shown in sub-figure (b) of Figure 6, after the cleaning device 101 stops rotating, the cleaning device 101 can be controlled to walk along the obstacle 105 in direction C until the cleaning device 101 stops walking when it approaches the target position.

[0116] As shown in sub-figure (c) of Figure 6, after the cleaning device 101 stops moving, it can be controlled to adjust its orientation according to the rotation direction B until the robotic arm 102 can grasp the target object 104 and then stop rotating, as shown in sub-figure (d) of Figure 5. After the cleaning device grasps the target object, it can continue to transport the target object. It should be noted that during the process of the cleaning device 101 adjusting its orientation according to the rotation direction B, the cleaning device can sense the specific position of the object 104 through sensors as needed. Based on the specific position information of the object 104, the cleaning device 101 can achieve precise grasping of the object 104 by controlling the movement of its chassis and / or the extension and retraction of its robotic arm 102.

[0117] It should be noted that controlling the cleaning device to re-grab the target object via the robotic arm can also be achieved based on the walking strategy in other embodiments, and is not limited to the embodiments listed above.

[0118] Based on the technical solution proposed in this application, if the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the transport of a target object, by controlling the cleaning equipment to place the target object gripped by the robotic arm on the ground, the cleaning equipment can cross the obstacle in an unloaded state. After the cleaning equipment crosses the obstacle, it can be controlled to re-grab the target object using the robotic arm, thereby continuing to transport the target object. The advantages of this approach are twofold. First, by temporarily placing the target object before crossing the obstacle, the cleaning equipment can cross it in an unloaded state, which can, to some extent, prevent the cleaning equipment from becoming unstable during obstacle crossing, thus avoiding the risk of the target object falling. Re-grabbing the target object after crossing the obstacle ensures the effective execution of the object transport task, significantly improving the stability of the cleaning equipment during object transport and enhancing the user experience. Second, unloaded obstacle crossing also reduces the energy consumption of the cleaning equipment, extends its battery life, and reduces wear on the robotic arm and grippers, thereby extending the service life of the cleaning equipment.

[0119] The following describes an embodiment of an apparatus that can be used to execute the cleaning equipment control method described in the above embodiments of this application. For details not disclosed in the apparatus embodiments of this application, please refer to the embodiments of the cleaning equipment control method described above.

[0120] Referring to Figure 7, a block diagram of a cleaning equipment control device according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The cleaning equipment includes a robotic arm for grasping objects to transport them.

[0121] As shown in FIG7, the cleaning equipment control device 700 according to an embodiment of the present application includes: a first control unit 701, a second control unit 702 and a third control unit 703.

[0122] The first control unit 701 is used to control the cleaning equipment to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground if the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting the target object; the second control unit 702 is used to control the cleaning equipment to cross the obstacle in an unloaded state after the cleaning equipment places the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground; the third control unit 703 is used to control the cleaning equipment to re-grab the target object by the robotic arm after the cleaning equipment crosses the obstacle, so as to continue transporting the target object.

[0123] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the first control unit 701 is configured to: if the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting the target object, and the weight of the target object is greater than or equal to a preset weight threshold, then control the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground.

[0124] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the first control unit 701 is configured to: if the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting a target object, and the projected length of the part of the robotic arm extending out of the cleaning device body in the target posture on the ground is greater than the width of the obstacle, then control the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground, wherein the target posture is the posture of the robotic arm grasping and placing the object on the ground.

[0125] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the first control unit 701 is configured to: control the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at a target position on the ground, wherein the distance between the target position and the obstacle is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold.

[0126] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the target location is located outside the target area, and the target area is the area that the cleaning equipment travels through when it is moving in an unloaded state.

[0127] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the target location and the location of the cleaning device before it crosses the obstacle are on the same side of the obstacle; or the target location and the location of the cleaning device before it crosses the obstacle are on opposite sides of the obstacle.

[0128] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the first control unit 701 is configured to: control the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to travel a first distance along the obstacle; after the cleaning device has traveled a first distance along the obstacle, control the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at a target position on the ground.

[0129] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the first control unit 701 is configured to: control the cleaning device to walk toward the obstacle in a direction perpendicular to the obstacle until the distance between the end of the robotic arm away from the body of the cleaning device and the obstacle is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold in the target posture, wherein the target posture is the posture of the robotic arm in grasping and placing objects on the ground.

[0130] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the second control unit 702 is configured to: control the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to travel a second distance along the obstacle, wherein the direction in which the cleaning device travels the first distance is opposite to the direction in which the cleaning device travels the second distance; and after the cleaning device has traveled a second distance along the obstacle, control the cleaning device to adjust its orientation to cross the obstacle.

[0131] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the second distance is equal to the first distance.

[0132] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the third control unit 703 is configured to: control the cleaning device to walk along the obstacle to a position close to the target location, so as to re-grab the target object by means of the robotic arm.

[0133] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the first control unit 701 is configured to: if the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting the target object, and the weight of the target object is less than a preset weight threshold, then control the cleaning device to cross the obstacle in a loaded state.

[0134] In some embodiments of this application, based on the foregoing scheme, the first control unit 701 is configured to: if the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting a target object, and the projected length of the part of the robotic arm extending out of the cleaning device body in the target posture on the ground is less than or equal to the width of the obstacle, then control the cleaning device to cross the obstacle in a loaded state, wherein the target posture is the posture of the robotic arm grasping and placing the object on the ground.

[0135] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, the computer program product including computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium and adapted to be read and executed by a processor to cause a computer device having the processor to perform the operations performed by the cleaning equipment control method as described above.

[0136] Based on the same inventive concept, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one computer program instruction, which is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the operations performed by the cleaning equipment control method as described above.

[0137] Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides a cleaning device. Referring to FIG8, a schematic diagram of the structure of the cleaning device in this application embodiment is shown. The cleaning device includes one or more memories 804, one or more processors 802, and at least one computer program (computer program instruction) stored on the memory 804 and executable on the processor 802. When the processor 802 executes the computer program, it implements the cleaning device control method as described above.

[0138] In Figure 8, the bus architecture (represented by bus 800) includes any number of interconnected buses and bridges, linking various circuits including one or more processors represented by processor 802 and memory represented by memory 804. Bus 800 can also link various other circuits such as peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and therefore will not be described further herein. Bus interface 805 provides an interface between bus 800 and receiver 801 and transmitter 803. Receiver 801 and transmitter 803 can be the same element, a transceiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium. Processor 802 is responsible for managing bus 800 and general processing, while memory 804 can be used to store data used by processor 802 during operation.

[0139] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium. Other examples and embodiments are within the scope and spirit of this application and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described above may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, the functional units may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit.

[0140] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed technical content can be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units can be a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For instance, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the displayed or discussed mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between units or modules may be electrical or other forms.

[0141] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. Similarly, components serving as control devices may or may not be physical units; they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the objectives of the embodiments described in this application, depending on actual needs.

[0142] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing computer program instructions, such as USB flash drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0143] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

[0144] All embodiments of this application can be executed individually or in combination with other embodiments, and are all considered to be within the scope of protection claimed by this application.

Claims

1. A method for controlling cleaning equipment, characterized in that, The cleaning equipment includes a robotic arm for grasping and transporting objects, and the method includes: If the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be overcome during the process of transporting the target object, the cleaning equipment is controlled to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground. After the cleaning device places the target object picked up by the robotic arm on the ground, the cleaning device is controlled to pass over the obstacle in an unloaded state. After the cleaning equipment passes the obstacle, the cleaning equipment is controlled to re-grab the target object using the robotic arm to continue transporting the target object.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be overcome during the handling of the target object, and the weight of the target object is greater than or equal to a preset weight threshold, the cleaning equipment is controlled to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the cleaning device encounters an obstacle to be overcome during the process of transporting the target object, and the projected length of the part of the robotic arm extending out of the cleaning device body in the target posture on the ground is greater than the width of the obstacle, then the cleaning device is controlled to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground. The target posture is the posture of the robotic arm grasping and placing the object on the ground.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The control of the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground includes: The cleaning device is controlled to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at a target position on the ground, where the distance between the target position and the obstacle is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The target location is located outside the target area, which is the area that the cleaning equipment travels through when it is moving in an unloaded state.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The target location and the position of the cleaning equipment before it crosses the obstacle are located on the same side of the obstacle; or the target location and the position of the cleaning equipment before it crosses the obstacle are located on opposite sides of the obstacle.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that, The control of the cleaning device to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at the target position on the ground includes: Control the cleaning equipment to adjust its orientation to travel a first distance along the obstacle; After the cleaning device has traveled a first distance along the obstacle, the cleaning device is controlled to adjust its orientation to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm at the target position on the ground.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The method further includes: The cleaning device is controlled to move toward the obstacle in a direction perpendicular to the obstacle until the distance between the end of the robotic arm away from the body of the cleaning device and the obstacle is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold in the target posture. The target posture is the posture in which the robotic arm grasps and places objects on the ground.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, Controlling the cleaning equipment to pass over the obstacle in an unloaded state includes: The cleaning device is controlled to adjust its orientation to travel a second distance along the obstacle, the direction in which the cleaning device travels the first distance is opposite to the direction in which the cleaning device travels the second distance; After the cleaning device has traveled a second distance along the obstacle, the cleaning device is controlled to adjust its orientation to pass over the obstacle.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The second distance is equal to the first distance.

11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The control of the cleaning equipment to re-grab the target object via the robotic arm includes: The cleaning equipment is controlled to move along the obstacle to a position close to the target location, so that the robotic arm can re-grab the target object.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be overcome during the transport of a target object, and the weight of the target object is less than a preset weight threshold, the cleaning equipment is controlled to overcome the obstacle under load.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be crossed during the process of transporting the target object, and the projected length of the part of the robotic arm extending out of the cleaning equipment body in the target posture is less than or equal to the width of the obstacle, then the cleaning equipment is controlled to cross the obstacle in a loaded state. The target posture is the posture of the robotic arm when grasping and placing the object on the ground.

14. A cleaning equipment control device, characterized in that, The cleaning equipment includes a robotic arm for grasping and transporting objects; the device includes: The first control unit is configured to control the cleaning equipment to place the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground if the cleaning equipment encounters an obstacle to be overcome during the process of carrying the target object. The second control unit is used to control the cleaning equipment to pass over the obstacle in an unloaded state after the cleaning equipment places the target object grasped by the robotic arm on the ground. The third control unit is used to control the cleaning equipment to re-grab the target object via the robotic arm after the cleaning equipment has passed the obstacle, so as to continue to transport the target object.

15. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes computer instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium and adapted to be read and executed by a processor to cause a computer device having the processor to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores at least one piece of program code, which is loaded and executed by a processor to perform the operations performed by the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

17. A cleaning device, characterized in that, The cleaning device includes one or more processors and one or more memories, wherein at least one piece of program code is stored in the one or more memories, and the at least one piece of program code is loaded and executed by the one or more processors to implement the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13.

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