AI Home Robot Mode Switching for Low-Power User Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional smart home technologies are limited in their ability to detect user presence and adapt operations accordingly, leading to inefficient power usage and unnecessary server connections, as they primarily rely on user interaction through portable terminals and lack adaptive modes based on environmental changes.
Innovation Solution
A home robot with multiple operational modes (display off, surrounding environment concentration, user concentration, user conversation, and play alone) that adjusts its operations based on sound inputs and environmental conditions, minimizing power consumption by selectively activating modules and reducing server connections, and switches between modes to optimize performance and user interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If the home robot operates in display off mode with minimal modules activated, then power consumption is reduced, but the ability to detect and respond to user presence and environmental changes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The home robot dynamically adjusts its operational mode based on detected conditions. In display off mode, only the voice input unit remains active to detect sounds. When a sound is detected, the system transitions to surrounding environment concentration mode, activating the display and image acquisition unit to detect user presence. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by enabling detection capability only when needed, thus reducing overall power consumption while maintaining the ability to detect user presence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic activation of detection modules rather than continuous operation. The voice input unit periodically monitors the environment, and upon detecting a sound trigger, the system temporarily activates additional modules for a specified duration. This periodic action pattern allows the robot to maintain low power consumption during idle periods while ensuring timely detection of user presence when activity occurs.
2Ease of operation
If the home robot activates all modules to search for user and respond to environment, then user interaction capability is enhanced, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically activates modules based on operational context. When in user conversation mode or surrounding environment concentration mode, the display, voice input unit, and image acquisition unit are activated to provide full interaction capability. When no user presence is detected after a predetermined time, the system transitions back to display off mode, deactivating power-intensive modules. This dynamic module activation resolves the contradiction by providing enhanced interaction capability only when users are present.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic mode switching to balance interaction capability and power consumption. Full interaction modes (user concentration mode, user conversation mode) are activated periodically when triggered by sound or user presence detection, then deactivated after a predetermined time period. This periodic activation ensures that enhanced interaction capabilities are available when needed while minimizing overall power consumption during extended idle periods.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the home robot connects to server frequently for updates and operations, then functionality and intelligence are improved, but operational efficiency and power usage are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic server connections rather than continuous or frequent connections. The robot connects to the server at predetermined intervals to receive updates, instructions, or data, then operates autonomously between connections. This periodic connection approach maintains the robot's functionality and adaptability by regularly updating its capabilities while improving operational efficiency by reducing the time spent connected and the power consumption associated with continuous network communication.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method of controlling a robot, comprising: switching to a surrounding environment concentration mode according to a sound of surrounding environment in a display off mode; searching a user in the surrounding environment concentration mode and switching to a user concentration mode when the user is searched; switching to a user conversation mode from the user concentration mode according to a sound received from the user; and entering the display off mode again after passing through a play alone mode, when the user is not searched in the surrounding environment concentration mode. Accordingly, the robot can operate in an optimal mode according to the change of the surrounding environment by setting various modes of the robot.