Breathing type gas detection instrument and mobile robot

Abstract

The present invention relates to a breathing type gas detection instrument and a mobile robot. The breathing type gas detection instrument comprises a neutralizing gas chamber, a digital processing circuit, a gas inlet / outlet port, a first gas flow channel, and a second gas flow channel, wherein the gas inlet / outlet port is communicated with the neutralizing gas chamber to form the first gas flow channel, the first gas flow channel is provided with a detection section, an olfactory sensor is built in the detection section, and the neutralizing gas chamber is connected back to the detection section by means of the second gas flow channel; the first gas flow channel is internally provided with an air compressor that drives gas inlet of the neutralizing gas chamber, and an electrically controlled gas inlet valve or one-way valve that forms one-way gas inlet of the neutralizing gas chamber; the second gas flow channel is internally provided with an electrically controlled gas outlet valve used for controlling gas outlet of the neutralizing gas chamber; the neutralizing gas chamber stores a neutralizing gas, and has a first state in which gas is introduced through the first gas flow channel under the driving of the air compressor, and a second state in which gas purging is performed on the olfactory sensor through the second gas flow channel when the electronically controlled gas outlet valve is opened; and the digital processing circuit is separately coupled to the olfactory sensor, the air compressor, and the electronically controlled valves.

Description

Breathable gas detection instruments, mobile robots Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mobile robots, and more particularly to a breathing gas detection instrument and a mobile robot. Background Technology

[0002] Mobile robots such as quadrupedal mechanical dogs and bipedal robots are equipped with olfactory perception functions. Based on scent, these mobile robots can quickly perform tasks that assist humans, such as tracking and observing target species in protected areas and quickly inspecting the nighttime excretions of elderly people in nursing homes.

[0003] To complete the assistance task, the olfactory perception of mobile robots requires a high dynamic response. However, current gas sensors are prone to saturation in high-concentration gas environments, commonly known as sensor poisoning. Once saturated, the sensor needs to recover on a daily basis. The long recovery time of gas sensor saturation or poisoning cannot meet the robot's need to quickly move to distinguish odors.

[0004] Cleaning gas sensors helps them recover quickly, and currently there are roughly two main approaches:

[0005] One type is equipped with air cylinders to rinse the sensors. Due to the large size and weight of the air cylinders, they are mainly used in static sensor applications. In mobile robot scenarios such as quadrupedal mechanical dogs, the load is limited and it is difficult to bear them.

[0006] Another type involves externally sourced gas for cleaning. For example, CN113219134A discloses a gas detection device where external gas enters through a first gas inlet and is pumped into a waste gas recovery device via a first suction pump. During cleaning, a second suction pump pushes the external gas through a gas chamber before outputting to the sensor. A gas treatment device inside the gas chamber purifies the gas. CN205175984U provides a continuous gas detector with a self-cleaning function. Through the control of a solenoid valve module by the main control system, gas enters the cleaning module from its inlet. The cleaned gas then passes through the solenoid valve module into the gas chamber to calibrate the sensor's zero point. The problem with this type of solution is that the device draws gas from the outside during cleaning, and the gas itself is the source of the pollution to be measured. Although a gas treatment device inside the gas chamber purifies the gas, current purification technologies struggle to filter the gas completely in a short time. This is especially true in situations where mobile robots cannot easily accommodate large purification devices, further limiting the purification rate. Therefore, effective cleaning of gas sensors, particularly those used in mobile robot scenarios, is difficult to achieve. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to improve upon the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a respiratory gas detection instrument that can be applied to mobile robots.

[0008] The present invention discloses a respiratory gas detection instrument comprising a neutralizing chamber, a digital processing circuit, an inlet and an outlet, a first airflow channel, and a second airflow channel. The inlet and outlet are connected to the neutralizing chamber to form the first airflow channel, which has a detection section. The detection section has at least one olfactory sensor built into it. The neutralizing chamber is connected back to the detection section via the second airflow channel. The first airflow channel has at least one air compressor for driving the intake of the neutralizing chamber, and an electrically controlled intake valve or a one-way valve for one-way intake of the neutralizing chamber. The second airflow channel has an electrically controlled exhaust valve for controlling the exhaust of the neutralizing chamber. The neutralizing chamber stores neutralizing gas and has at least a first state in which it is driven by the air compressor to enter through the first airflow channel, and a second state in which it is opened by the electrically controlled exhaust valve to release and clean the olfactory sensor through the second airflow channel. The digital processing circuit is used for logic processing and / or logic sequence control and is coupled to each olfactory sensor, the air compressor, and the electrically controlled valve.

[0009] The following are supplementary improvements to the implementation of this invention:

[0010] As an optional implementation, the neutralization chamber is configured as an elastic airbag.

[0011] Furthermore, the neutralization chamber is connected to a pressure valve for overpressure relief.

[0012] Furthermore, the neutralization chamber is equipped with a molecular filter membrane or activated carbon.

[0013] As an optional implementation, the detection cycle of the gas detector consists of two sub-cycles, T1 and T2. In T1, the electronically controlled intake valve or check valve is opened, the electronically controlled exhaust valve is closed, the air compressor drives the intake to form the first state, and the corresponding olfactory sensor is activated for detection. In T2, the electronically controlled intake valve or check valve is closed, the air compressor is closed, the electronically controlled exhaust valve is opened to switch from the first state to the second state, and the detection of the corresponding olfactory sensor is stopped.

[0014] As an optional implementation, a front-end electrically controlled valve coupled with a digital processing circuit is installed in the flow channel between the air inlet / outlet and its corresponding detection section.

[0015] Furthermore, the detection cycle of the gas detector consists of two sub-cycles, T1 and T2. In T1, the front-end electronically controlled valve is open, the electronically controlled intake valve or check valve is open, the electronically controlled exhaust valve is closed, and the air compressor drives the intake to form the first state, activating the corresponding olfactory sensor for detection. In T2, the front-end electronically controlled valve is closed, the electronically controlled intake valve or check valve is open, the electronically controlled exhaust valve is open, and the air compressor drives the intake to simultaneously form the first and second states, stopping the detection of the corresponding olfactory sensor.

[0016] Furthermore, it includes a measuring device for sensing the intake volume of the neutralizing chamber; a digital processing circuit coupled to the measuring device is used to evaluate the internal pressure of the neutralizing chamber based on the intake volume, and to use the comparison between the internal pressure of the neutralizing chamber and a first threshold as a judgment condition for switching between sub-cycles T1 and T2.

[0017] Furthermore, the air inlet and outlet, along with their corresponding airflow channels and valves, constitute a breathing assembly; the breathing assembly has at least two groups distributed at different locations, with the first airflow channel of each group of breathing assemblies converging into a neutralization chamber, and an air compressor located on the main converging channel for unified driving. Furthermore, the breathing assemblies of each group are controlled by corresponding valves to form a periodic, time-sharing operation.

[0018] Furthermore, the air compressor is selected as an adjustable air intake device, and / or the front-end electronically controlled valve is a flow valve; when the gas concentration is detected to be higher than the second threshold, the air intake volume of the air inlet and outlet is reduced or closed by the air compressor and / or the front-end electronically controlled valve.

[0019] As an optional implementation, a first request is generated to replace the neutralizing gas in the neutralizing chamber when the gas detection process is performed or when the concentration of the target gas used to clean the sensor output from the neutralizing chamber, or the percentage of its concentration relative to a reference, exceeds a third threshold.

[0020] Furthermore, in the second state, olfactory sensor data is collected to characterize the cleanliness of the gas inside the neutralization chamber.

[0021] A mobile robot is also provided, including the breathing gas detection instrument as described above.

[0022] The gas detection instrument of the present invention achieves the following effects by anthropomorphizing the human nose and lungs and their connections: the air chamber, as a bionic lung, stores and neutralizes the gas to be tested, rapidly reducing the gas concentration; the unique airflow channel topology structure composed of the air inlet / outlet, sensor, air chamber, and first and second flow channels forms a synergistic cooperation between the breathing bionic electronic nose and the bionic breathing lung, simulating the human nasal and lung breathing process, achieving both gas detection and sensor cleaning during breathing, achieving superior cleaning effect while working efficiently, which is beneficial for the dynamic response of mobile robots to quickly move and distinguish odors. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 shows an exemplary flow channel structure for a respiratory gas detection instrument;

[0024] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the elastic airbag and its detection and protection device;

[0025] Figure 3a shows a schematic diagram of the inhalation process in sub-cycle T1;

[0026] Figure 3b shows a schematic diagram of the exhalation process in sub-cycle T2;

[0027] Figure 4a shows a schematic diagram of the front-end electrically controlled valve setup;

[0028] Figure 4b shows a schematic diagram of the exhalation process in sub-cycle T2 under the cyclic flushing formed by the front-end electronic control valve;

[0029] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the dual electronic nose structure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 1 illustrates the flow channel structure of an exemplary respiratory gas detector. The gas detector includes a neutralization chamber 100, a main control circuit 200, a first airflow channel 300, a second airflow channel 400, and inlet and outlet ports. The inlet and outlet ports serve as windows for gas input and output, connecting to the neutralization chamber 100 to form the first airflow channel 300, which is the path for the detected gas to enter the neutralization chamber 100. The first airflow channel 300 incorporates an air compressor 301 and an intake valve 302. The air compressor 301 drives air into the chamber and can be a device that generates gas pressure energy through mechanical work, such as an air pump. The intake valve 302 is located at the inlet and / or outlet of the air pump, forming a one-way intake for the neutralization chamber 100. The intake valve 302 can be an electrically controlled intake valve, opening when needed and closing when not needed; or it can be a one-way valve formed by a mechanical structure such as a duckbill valve, saving on control logic involvement.

[0032] The first airflow channel is divided into a detection section (300mm), which houses an olfactory sensor for gas detection. The olfactory sensor uses multiple detection points to form a detection array. Different detection points produce different responses to the same odor; for example, a 3x3 array sensor can distinguish over two hundred types of gases through sampling combinations at each point. To enable the robot to quickly move and distinguish odors, the sensor requires high temporal resolution. Therefore, the robot is further equipped with an encoder and a Sub-Neural Network (SNN) model. The encoder performs discrete pulse encoding on the detection output signal of each olfactory sensor. The encoding rule is configured to trigger an output spike as an event when the signal change exceeds a sixth threshold. The SNN model receives the time sequence formed by encoding the detection output signal as input and generates an output pulse sequence representing odor classification and concentration. The main control circuit includes a digital processing circuit, which can be implemented using a sequential controller, processing raw data externally via an external interface; alternatively, the digital processing circuit can use a microprocessor built as a CPU or MCU for local processing, with the processing results sent externally via an external interface. Equipped with a microprocessor, the digital processing circuit acquires classification and identification data and corresponding concentrations of various gases from a SNN neural network model. It then selects the concentration of the target gas or compares its concentration with a baseline percentage, providing a foundation for gas exchange detection. Addressing the complex variations in the array sensor's characteristics, a spiking neural network (SNN) is employed for manual learning and analysis, significantly improving accuracy. Furthermore, pulse encoding conversion via an encoder is used before inputting the signal into the SNN for event-responsive gas classification and identification, further enhancing the sensor's temporal resolution and establishing a solid foundation for the robot to quickly distinguish odors during rapid positional changes.

[0033] The neutralization chamber 100 has an outlet, which is connected back to the detection section to form a second airflow channel 400, serving as the path for neutralizing gas to rinse the sensor. The second airflow channel 400 has a built-in electrically controlled outlet valve 401 to control the gas output from the neutralization chamber 100. The main control circuit 200 includes a digital processing circuit for coupling the various olfactory sensors, air compressor, and electrically controlled valve to perform logic control. The neutralization chamber 100 stores neutralizing gas, pre-input and stored from a clean gas source configured such that the concentration of the target gas or its percentage relative to a reference concentration does not exceed a set threshold. The neutralization chamber 100 has a first state where it receives gas through the first airflow channel 300 under the drive of the air compressor 301, and a second state where it vents and rinses the olfactory sensor through the second airflow channel 400 when the electrically controlled outlet valve 401 is opened. During the process of the gas to be tested being inhaled through the inlet and outlet, a sensor detects it at the front of the first airflow channel 300, and then it is sent into the air chamber to neutralize the pre-stored clean gas, while simultaneously compressing the gas in the air chamber. After the second airflow channel 400 is opened, the neutralized gas flushes the sensor and is exhaled through the inlet and outlet. The gas detection instrument achieves the following effects by mimicking the human nose and lungs and their connections: the air chamber, acting as a bionic lung, stores and neutralizes the gas to be tested, rapidly reducing the gas concentration; the unique airflow topology consisting of the inlet / outlet, sensor, air chamber, and the first and second airflow channels forms a synergistic effect between a breathing bionic electronic nose and a bionic breathing lung, simulating the human nasal and lung respiration process. During respiration, both gas detection and sensor flushing are achieved, resulting in efficient instrument operation and superior cleaning performance, which is beneficial for the dynamic response of mobile robots to quickly move and distinguish odors.

[0034] As one implementation, the neutralizing chamber 100 can be any type of chamber structure. Based on the compression of the internal gas by the air pump, the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the second airflow channel 400 generates flushing kinetic energy for the sensor. Further, referring to Figure 2, the neutralizing chamber 100 employs an elastic airbag. When inflated, the airbag bulges; when deflated, the elastic recovery of the airbag generates even greater flushing kinetic energy. Preferably, the neutralizing chamber 100 is connected to a pressure valve 101 for overpressure relief, which provides protection against excessive inflation of the airbag. Another preferred embodiment is that the neutralizing chamber 100 further incorporates an air filter 102, such as a molecular filter membrane or activated carbon, for gas purification, extending the usable time of the gas stored within the chamber.

[0035] As an optional implementation, the gas detector's detection cycle consists of two sub-cycles, T1 and T2, which alternate in time. Figure 3a illustrates the inhalation process of sub-cycle T1. In T1, the electronically controlled inlet valve or one-way valve is open, the electronically controlled outlet valve is closed, and the air compressor drives the intake to form the first state, activating the corresponding olfactory sensor for detection. Figure 3b illustrates the exhalation process of sub-cycle T2. In T2, the electronically controlled inlet valve or one-way valve is closed, the air compressor is off, and the electronically controlled outlet valve is opened to switch from the first state to the second state, stopping the detection of the corresponding olfactory sensor. In this implementation, the air compressor creates a pressure difference within the air chamber, resulting in alternating inhalation and exhalation for detection and cleaning, which is beneficial for applications requiring high detection speeds.

[0036] Alternatively, as another optional implementation, referring to Figure 4a, a front-end electrically controlled valve 303 coupled with a digital processing circuit is installed in the flow channel between the air inlet / outlet and its corresponding detection section. The air compressor is selected as an adjustable air intake device, and / or the front-end electrically controlled valve is a flow valve. When the detected gas concentration is higher than a second threshold, the air intake of the air inlet / outlet is reduced or closed by the air compressor and / or the front-end electrically controlled valve, simulating the action of a person covering their nose. Furthermore, the detection cycle of the gas detector is composed of two alternating sub-cycles T1 and T2. In T1, the front-end electrically controlled valve is open, the electrically controlled intake valve or check valve is open, and the electrically controlled outlet valve is closed. The air compressor drives the intake to form the first state, activating the corresponding olfactory sensor for detection. In T2, referring to Figure 4b, the front-end electrically controlled valve is closed, the electrically controlled intake valve or check valve is open, and the electrically controlled outlet valve is open. The air compressor simultaneously drives the intake to form both the first and second states, stopping the detection by the corresponding olfactory sensor. In this embodiment, the air compressor drives a multi-inhale cycle cleaning process during the rinsing phase, which is beneficial for applications requiring high sensor detection accuracy. More preferably, referring to Figure 4a, the gas detection instrument is further equipped with a measuring device for sensing the intake volume of the neutralizing chamber. The measuring device can reflect the intake volume by using a gas pressure sensor to detect changes in internal pressure, or by using a flow meter to directly detect the intake volume, or by controlling the intake rate per unit time and reflecting the intake volume based on time using a timer. A digital processing circuit is coupled to the measuring device, evaluates the internal pressure of the neutralizing chamber based on the intake volume, and performs rinsing from sub-cycle T1 to T2 when the internal pressure of the neutralizing chamber is greater than the first threshold, based on a comparison between the internal pressure of the neutralizing chamber and a first threshold.

[0037] Furthermore, Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the flow channel structure of the dual-path electronic nose. The inlet and outlet, along with their corresponding airflow channels and valves, constitute a breathing assembly. This assembly has at least two sets distributed at different locations. The first airflow channel of each breathing assembly converges into a neutralization chamber. An air compressor is located in the main converging channel for unified driving, simulating the structure of a human double nose. Because a certain distance exists between the two inlets and outlets, and based on the stepped distribution of the air source in the air, the direction of the gas source can be detected by the numerical difference between the two sets of sensors. Furthermore, with a front-end control valve, each breathing assembly operates periodically and in shifts through corresponding valves. The two sets of sensors work alternately in shifts to avoid simultaneous poisoning.

[0038] As an alternative implementation, after the gas detection process is completed, or when the concentration of the target gas output from the neutralization chamber for cleaning the sensor, or the percentage of its concentration relative to a reference, exceeds a third threshold, a first request is generated to replace the neutralizing gas in the neutralization chamber. This prevents the gas source inside the chamber from becoming a contaminant and affecting detection after multiple neutralizations. In the case where the gas detection instrument is deployed on a mobile robot, further, the robot is controlled to move to a clean gas area to perform a gas exchange process based on the receipt of the first request. By combining the robot's mobility, the air in the gas chamber can be kept clean in real time, ensuring the continuous operation capability of the mobile robot's olfactory perception. Furthermore, the clean gas area is configured as a space where the concentration of the target gas, or the percentage of its concentration relative to a reference, is below a fourth threshold. This can be addressed through detection or by pre-demarcating an electronic fence.

[0039] The ventilation process is configured to continuously switch between a first state and a second state until the concentration of the target gas output from the neutralization chamber, or the percentage of its concentration relative to a reference, falls below a fifth threshold. As an optional implementation, the concentration of the target gas output from the neutralization chamber, or the percentage of its concentration relative to a reference, can be detected using an olfactory sensor. The olfactory sensor data collected in the second state is used for characterization, as the gas in the chamber is fully neutralized in the second state, resulting in higher accuracy and cost simplification. Alternatively, an olfactory sensor with a coupled digital processing circuitry can be installed inside the neutralization chamber to independently detect the concentration of the target gas output from the neutralization chamber, or the percentage of its concentration relative to a reference.

[0040] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the essence and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A respiratory gas detection instrument, characterized in that: Includes a neutralization chamber, digital processing circuitry, air inlet and outlet, first airflow channel, and second airflow channel; The air inlet and outlet are connected to the neutralization chamber to form a first airflow channel. The first airflow channel has a detection section, and the detection section has at least one olfactory sensor built in it. The neutralization chamber is connected back to the detection section via a second airflow channel. The first airflow channel has at least one air compression device built in for driving the intake of the neutralization chamber, and an electronically controlled intake valve or one-way valve to form a one-way intake of the neutralization chamber. The second airflow channel has an electronically controlled exhaust valve built in for controlling the exhaust of the neutralization chamber. The neutralization chamber stores neutralizing gas and has at least a first state in which air is introduced through a first airflow channel under the drive of an air compressor, and a second state in which air is released and cleaned through a second airflow channel when an electronically controlled exhaust valve is opened. Digital processing circuitry, used for logic processing and / or logic sequence control, is coupled to each olfactory sensor, air compressor, and electronically controlled valve.

2. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that: The neutralization chamber is configured as an elastic airbag.

3. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 2, characterized in that: The neutralization chamber is connected to a pressure valve for overpressure relief.

4. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 2, characterized in that: The neutralization chamber is equipped with a molecular filter membrane or activated carbon.

5. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection cycle of a gas detector consists of two sub-cycles, T1 and T2. In T1, the electronically controlled intake valve or check valve is opened, the electronically controlled exhaust valve is closed, the air compressor drives the intake to form the first state, and the corresponding olfactory sensor is activated for detection. In T2, the electronically controlled intake valve or check valve is closed, the air compressor is closed, and the electronically controlled exhaust valve is opened to switch from the first state to the second state, stopping the detection of the corresponding olfactory sensor.

6. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that: A front-end electrically controlled valve coupled with a digital processing circuit is installed in the flow channel between the air inlet / outlet and its corresponding detection section.

7. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 6, characterized in that: The detection cycle of a gas detector consists of two sub-cycles, T1 and T2. In T1, the front-end electronically controlled valve is opened, the electronically controlled intake valve or check valve is opened, the electronically controlled exhaust valve is closed, the air compressor drives the intake to form the first state, and the corresponding olfactory sensor is activated for detection. In T2, the front-end electronically controlled valve is closed, the electronically controlled intake valve or check valve is opened, the electronically controlled exhaust valve is opened, and the air compressor is driven to simultaneously form the first state and the second state, stopping the detection of the corresponding olfactory sensor.

8. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 7, characterized in that: Includes a measuring device for sensing the amount of air entering the neutralizing chamber; The digital processing circuit is coupled to the measuring device and is used to evaluate the internal pressure of the neutralization chamber based on the intake air volume. The comparison between the internal pressure of the neutralization chamber and a first threshold is used as the judgment condition for switching between sub-cycles T1 and T2.

9. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air inlet and outlet, along with their corresponding airflow channels and valves, constitute a breathing assembly. The breathing assembly has at least two sets distributed at different locations. The first airflow channels of each set of breathing assemblies converge into the neutralization chamber, and the air compression device is located in the main converging channel for unified driving.

10. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 9, characterized in that: Each breathing assembly operates in a periodic, time-sharing manner through corresponding valves.

11. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 6, characterized in that: The air compressor is selected as an adjustable air intake device, and / or the front-end electronically controlled valve is a flow valve; When the gas concentration is detected to be higher than the second threshold, the air intake volume at the inlet and outlet is reduced or closed by the air compressor and / or the front-end electronic control valve.

12. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 1, characterized in that: After the gas detection process is completed, or when the concentration of the target gas used for cleaning the sensor output from the neutralization chamber, or the percentage of its concentration relative to the reference, exceeds a third threshold, a first request is generated to replace the gas used for neutralization in the neutralization chamber.

13. The respiratory gas detection instrument according to claim 12, characterized in that: In the second state, olfactory sensor data is collected to characterize the cleanliness of the gas inside the neutralization chamber.

14. A mobile robot, characterized in that, Including the respiratory gas detection instrument as described in any one of claims 1-13.

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