Aircraft Cleaning Robot Steerable Wheel Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft cleaning methods are time-consuming and prone to inaccuracies, leading to increased fuel consumption and revenue loss due to the need for precise calibration and positioning of cleaning robots, which is difficult to achieve simultaneously with high speed and safety.
Innovation Solution
An aircraft cleaning robot with steerable front and rear wheels, controlled by a sophisticated controller that adjusts steering angles and position to maintain a constant distance from the aircraft surface, allowing for faster and more precise cleaning by enabling crab steering and automatic adjustment of the cleaning head's position and orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional calibration and positioning methods are used for the cleaning robot, then positioning accuracy is improved, but setup time and total cleaning time increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing optimal robot paths and positioning sequences in the controller before actual cleaning operations. The system pre-determines the best routes for the mobile carrier to follow along the aircraft fuselage, eliminating the need for time-consuming on-site calibration and positioning adjustments during the cleaning process.
2Productivity
If the robot arm moves at high speed, then cleaning productivity is improved, but collision risk and safety concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through sensors that continuously monitor the cleaning head's position, speed, and distance from the aircraft surface. The controller receives real-time feedback from these sensors and automatically adjusts the robot arm's motion parameters to maintain safe operating speeds, preventing collisions while optimizing cleaning efficiency through adaptive speed control rather than fixed high-speed operation.
3Ease of operation
If the mobile carrier translates substantially along the aircraft, then positioning adjustment is simplified, but setup time and cleaning time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by enabling the mobile carrier to perform dynamic repositioning through crab steering, where the wheel sets can be steered in different directions to allow the carrier to move sideways and adjust its position without substantial translation along the aircraft. This dynamic positioning capability reduces setup time while maintaining operational simplicity through automated steering control.
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft cleaning robot comprises a robot arm (14); a brush (34) rotatably attached to the robot arm (14) to be rotated about a brush rotation axis (R); and a controller (56) configured to control the position of the cleaning head (32), whereinthe aircraft cleaning robot (10) is configured to automatically orient the brush (34) such that a cleaning face (37) of the cleaning head (32) is aligned with the surface being brushed; and the controller (56) is configured to, based on input from the robot arm (14) and/or cleaning head (32), determine a cleaning direction in which the cleaning face (37) is presently facing; and, based on the determined cleaning direction, operate the robot arm (14) along the cleaning direction to apply a brush engagement pressure in said cleaning direction.