Stationary service appliance for a poly functional roaming device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic devices lack an efficient method for autonomously servicing and maintaining cleaning components, particularly in battery-operated mobile devices, which hinders their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions and user inputs.
Innovation Solution
A method is provided for autonomously servicing a cleaning component of a battery-operated mobile device, involving inference of environmental characteristics using sensor data, actuation of actuators to engage or disengage the cleaning component based on these characteristics or user inputs, and dispensing water from a maintenance station for washing the component when the device is docked.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If robotic devices perform autonomous servicing of cleaning components, then maintenance effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic device autonomously services its own cleaning components by detecting when they need maintenance and automatically navigating to the maintenance station for washing, eliminating the need for manual intervention and enabling self-maintenance capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensors to detect environmental characteristics and cleaning component status, then uses this feedback information to trigger appropriate maintenance actions through the controller, creating a closed-loop control system that improves maintenance effectiveness
2Adaptability or versatility
If the device adapts to changing environmental conditions, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning component's operational state is dynamically adjusted based on real-time environmental conditions detected by sensors, allowing the device to adapt its cleaning behavior to varying surfaces and conditions without requiring complex pre-programming for every scenario
Solution Approach 2:
Sensor data about environmental characteristics is continuously fed back to the controller, which automatically adjusts actuator commands to optimize cleaning performance for the current conditions, enabling adaptive behavior through simple sensor-actuator loops
3Duration of action of stationary object
If autonomous servicing is implemented, then operational lifespan is extended, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs maintenance actions automatically during docked periods when the device would otherwise be stationary, utilizing otherwise wasted time for servicing and extending operational lifespan without adding to active cleaning time
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous self-maintenance capability allows the device to service itself during docked periods without requiring human intervention time, effectively converting docked time into productive maintenance time and extending operational lifespan
Data Source
AI summary
A method for autonomously servicing a first cleaning component of a battery-operated mobile device, including: inferring, with a processor of the mobile device, a value of at least one environmental characteristic based on sensor data captured by a sensor disposed on the mobile device; actuating, with a controller of the mobile device, a first actuator interacting with the first cleaning component to at least one of: turn on, turn off, reverse direction, and increase or decrease in speed such that the first cleaning component engages or disengages based on the value of at least one environmental characteristic or at least one user input received by an application of a smartphone paired with the mobile device; and dispensing, by a maintenance station, water from a clean water container of the maintenance station for washing the first cleaning component when the mobile device is docked at the maintenance station.