Navigational control of autonomous cleaning robots
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous cleaning robots often bump into obstacles while cleaning, causing noise and disrupting their navigation, as existing systems lack effective methods to avoid obstacles without compromising their cleaning efficiency and user expectations.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a 'gentle mode' in autonomous cleaning robots, equipped with ranging sensors and a controller that navigates the robot to maintain a clearance distance from obstacles, allowing it to select alternative trajectories to avoid contact and maintain efficient cleaning paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the cleaning robot maintains a clearance distance from obstacles (gentle mode), then noise and motion disruption are reduced, but cleaning efficiency may be compromised due to longer paths
Solution Approach 1:
The robot dynamically adjusts its navigation mode between gentle mode (maintaining clearance distance) and direct mode (moving directly toward target) based on real-time sensor feedback. This allows the system to optimize between noise reduction and cleaning efficiency depending on the specific environmental context and obstacle configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the navigation parameter (clearance distance) based on detected conditions. When obstacles are detected, the robot transitions from direct path navigation to gentle mode with increased clearance distance, thereby reducing noise and disruption while adapting to maintain acceptable cleaning progress.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the robot implements gentle mode to avoid obstacles, then user comfort is improved, but the robot may miss cleaning areas directly adjacent to obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The robot periodically alternates between gentle mode (avoiding obstacles with clearance distance) and direct mode (approaching obstacles closely) in a systematic pattern. This periodic switching ensures that cleaning areas adjacent to obstacles are covered during direct mode phases while maintaining user comfort during gentle mode phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation behavior dynamically switches between gentle and direct modes based on cleaning progress and obstacle proximity. This dynamic adjustment ensures comprehensive cleaning coverage while prioritizing user comfort when appropriate.
3Productivity
If the robot moves directly toward targets without avoidance, then cleaning efficiency is maximized, but obstacle contact causes noise and disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The ranging sensor performs preliminary detection of obstacles before the robot reaches them. Based on this advance detection, the controller pre-calculates and executes avoidance trajectories, allowing the robot to maintain efficient cleaning progress while preventing noisy obstacle contacts through proactive navigation adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously receives feedback from the ranging sensor about obstacle positions and adjusts the navigation trajectory in real-time. This closed-loop feedback control enables the robot to maintain direct efficient paths while dynamically avoiding obstacles to prevent noise and disruption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces noise and motion disruption caused by obstacle contact, enhances cleaning efficiency by optimizing trajectories around obstacles, and provides a more predictable and intelligent navigation behavior to users.
Implementation Method 1
The autonomous cleaning robot includes a ranging sensor directed toward a portion of the floor surface forward of the autonomous cleaning robot and configured to measure a position of an obstacle on the portion of the floor surface relative to the autonomous cleaning robot
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous cleaning robot includes a controller configured to execute instructions to perform operations including moving the autonomous cleaning robot along a first portion of a path toward a waypoint, detecting, with a ranging sensor of the autonomous cleaning robot, an obstacle along the path between the first portion of the path and a second portion of the path, navigating the autonomous cleaning robot about the obstacle along a trajectory that maintains at least a clearance distance between the autonomous cleaning robot and the obstacle, and moving the autonomous cleaning robot along the second portion of the path.