Apparatus and methods for semi-autonomous cleaning of surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semi-autonomous cleaning devices face challenges such as inaccurate object sensing, difficulty in navigating around obstacles, inefficient path planning, and inadequate drive systems that prevent effective cleaning of surfaces, especially in corners and complex layouts.
Innovation Solution
A semi-autonomous cleaning apparatus with a frame, drive system, and electronic system that includes a processor to redefine paths based on sensor signals, allowing for efficient navigation and effective cleaning of surfaces by using a drive system with wheels that can rotate about multiple axes for holonomic motion and a cleaning assembly that can engage surfaces to transfer detritus to a storage volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a robot travels along a predetermined path, then the path can be defined in advance, but the robot cannot adapt to unexpected obstacles and may become unrecoverable without user intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic path redefinition by allowing the robot to modify its predetermined path in real-time based on sensor feedback from unexpected obstacles. The processor continuously monitors sensor data and automatically adjusts the path parameters, transforming a static predetermined path into a dynamic adaptive trajectory that responds to environmental changes without requiring user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where sensor data about unexpected obstacles is continuously fed back to the processor, which then redefines the path based on this information. This closed-loop control allows the robot to detect obstacles, evaluate their impact on the predetermined path, and automatically adjust the trajectory to avoid collisions while maintaining cleaning efficiency.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If object-sensing methods such as sonar are used, then the robot can detect obstacles, but the sensing can be limited, inaccurate, and difficult to program
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple types of sensors (sonar, cameras, light emitting and sensing devices, radio and sound wave emitters) that serve both obstacle detection and navigation functions. This multi-functional sensor system allows the same hardware to perform various sensing tasks, reducing programming complexity while improving detection accuracy through sensor fusion and cross-validation of data from different modalities.
Solution Approach 2:
The processor acts as an intermediary that receives raw sensor data from multiple sources, processes and fuses this information, and converts it into accurate obstacle detection and path planning decisions. This intermediary processing layer integrates data from imperfect individual sensors to achieve superior overall measurement precision and reduces the programming burden by handling complex sensor fusion algorithms centrally.
3Device complexity
If a robot is configured to clean a surface with a standard drive system, then the drive system is simple to implement, but the robot cannot reach into corners and effectively clean the desired surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic drive system with wheels capable of rotating about multiple axes, allowing the robot to perform holonomic motion. This dynamic capability enables the robot to reach into corners and access areas that would be inaccessible to standard fixed-orientation drive systems, significantly improving cleaning productivity without requiring overly complex mechanical structures.
Solution Approach 2:
By enabling wheels to rotate about multiple axes rather than a single fixed axis, the patent adds rotational freedom in another dimension. This multi-axis rotation capability allows the robot to orient itself in various directions and reach into corners, transforming a two-dimensional movement system into a three-dimensional holonomic system that can access previously unreachable areas.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a frame, a drive assembly supported by the frame, an electronic system supported by the frame, and a cleaning assembly coupled to the frame. The drive assembly is configured to move the frame along a surface. The cleaning assembly is configured to engage the surface to transfer detritus from the surface to a storage volume supported by the frame. The electronic system has at least a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to define a path along which the drive assembly travels and is configured to redefined a path along which the drive assembly travels based on at least one signal received from at least one sensor.