AI Robot Cleaning Routes Using Virtual Walls in Complex Areas
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robot cleaners are limited in navigating and cleaning areas with many obstacles, as they primarily consider a predetermined radius and can get stuck or take longer to clean, failing to effectively handle complex or difficult-to-enter spaces.
Innovation Solution
An AI robot system that uses real-time sensor data from image, depth, and shock sensors to determine complex areas, creates virtual walls to restrict entry, and adjusts its cleaning route accordingly, allowing it to navigate and clean areas that are difficult to enter by excluding virtual walls once the cleaning is completed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the robot cleaner considers only a predetermined radius environment and avoids obstacles locally, then it can navigate simple areas efficiently, but it wanders repeatedly in complex areas and takes excessive time to clean
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning area is segmented into simple areas and complex areas based on obstacle density and cleaning time thresholds. The robot applies different cleaning strategies to each segment: efficient random exploration in simple areas and avoidance of virtual walls in complex areas, preventing endless wandering and improving overall productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The robot performs preliminary actions by creating virtual walls in complex areas before attempting to clean them. This preliminary setup allows the robot to systematically navigate around difficult-to-clean regions, clean accessible areas first, and return to complex areas later, reducing total cleaning time
2Productivity
If the robot cleaner enters areas with many obstacles to clean them thoroughly, then cleaning coverage is improved, but movement is restricted and cleaning time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning space is divided into accessible areas and restricted areas based on obstacle density. The robot calculates cleaning routes that prioritize accessible areas while systematically managing restricted areas, balancing coverage with operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The robot dynamically adjusts its cleaning strategy by creating and removing virtual walls based on real-time sensor data. Virtual walls are created in high-obstacle-density areas during initial cleaning passes and removed after those areas are cleaned, allowing adaptive management of cleaning complexity
3Loss of time
If the robot cleaner avoids areas with high restrainability, then cleaning time is reduced, but cleaning coverage is incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs preliminary cleaning of accessible areas first by creating virtual walls around restricted areas. After completing easy-to-clean regions, it systematically removes virtual walls and returns to clean previously avoided restricted areas, ensuring complete coverage without excessive time loss
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning process is executed in periodic cycles: first pass cleans accessible areas with virtual walls blocking restricted areas, second pass removes virtual walls and cleans previously blocked restricted areas. This periodic approach ensures complete coverage while minimizing total time
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of the present invention provides an artificial intelligence (AI) robot for determining a cleaning route using sensor data, comprising: a sensor unit including at least one of an image sensor, a depth sensor or a shock sensor; a cleaning unit including at least one of a suction unit or a mopping unit; a driving unit configured to drive the AI robot; and a processor configured to: acquire the sensor data from the sensor unit, determine a complex area using the acquired sensor data, create a virtual wall for blocking an entry into the determined complex area, determine the cleaning route in consideration of the created virtual wall, and control the cleaning unit and the driving unit based on the determined cleaning route.