Autonomous floor cleaning system
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous floor cleaning systems are costly and complex due to the duplication of mapping, navigation, and stain sensing components in multiple robots, which limits their multi-functionality and increases expenses.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a primary robot with full mapping, navigation, and stain sensing capabilities, and a secondary robot that leverages these features, sharing components to provide a more affordable and versatile cleaning solution, with the primary robot guiding the secondary robot to specific cleaning areas using a beacon deployment system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple autonomous floor cleaning robots are equipped with full mapping, navigation, and stain sensing components, then each robot can independently perform cleaning tasks, but the system cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mapping, navigation, and stain sensing capabilities into a single primary robot, while secondary robots are simplified to have only drive systems and basic cleaning functions. The primary robot acts as a mobile base that provides navigation intelligence to multiple secondary robots, eliminating the need for each secondary robot to have duplicate expensive components.
Solution Approach 2:
The primary robot serves multiple functions: it performs its own cleaning tasks while also acting as a mobile command center that provides mapping, navigation, and stain detection services to multiple secondary robots. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity and cost while maintaining operational reliability.
2Productivity
If the primary robot deploys beacons to guide secondary robots to stains, then targeted cleaning is enabled, but the beacon deployment system adds complexity to the primary robot
Solution Approach 1:
The primary robot performs preliminary actions by deploying beacons at stain locations before secondary robots arrive. This preliminary placement of guidance markers enables secondary robots to efficiently locate and navigate to cleaning targets without requiring real-time complex communication or advanced navigation capabilities on their part.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A floor cleaning system (8) includes multiple autonomous floor cleaners or robots (100, 200). The robots are configured to share a mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system (186, 1186). A first robot (100, 200) carries the mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system (186, 1186), and a second robot (100, 200) receives information from the mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system (186, 1186) of the first robot (100, 200). The system (8) can include at least one dry vacuuming robot (100) and at least one deep cleaning robot (200).