Autonomous Refuse Bin Routing for Scheduled Emptying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing waste management systems require user intervention and handling of refuse bins, which can be inconvenient and unsanitary.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robotic device equipped with wheels, a motor, suspension system, rechargeable battery, control system, sensors, and a refuse container, capable of autonomously transporting bins between storage and collection locations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a mobile robotic device is introduced to autonomously manage refuse, then user convenience and sanitation are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic device is divided into distinct functional modules: a mobile platform for movement, a refuse container for storage, a lid mechanism for sealing, and various sensor systems for detection. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to provide autonomous refuse management, resolving the contradiction between improved ease of operation and increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile robotic device integrates multiple functions into a single system: autonomous navigation to collect locations, refuse collection and storage, sanitation maintenance through lid operation, and communication with collection vehicles. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate devices or manual operations, improving user convenience while managing complexity through integration.
2Extent of automation
If the robotic device autonomously transports refuse bins, then user intervention is reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic device operates in periodic cycles: traveling to collect locations, collecting refuse, returning to storage locations, and repeating. The controller manages these periodic operations efficiently, allowing the device to accumulate and transport refuse over time rather than requiring continuous high-energy operation, thus balancing autonomous operation with energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic device autonomously performs all refuse management tasks without user intervention, including navigation, collection, and transport. The system self-manages its operations based on sensor input and controller decisions, reducing the need for energy-intensive manual handling by users while optimizing its own energy usage through intelligent autonomous control.
3Reliability
If the device includes sensors and environmental mapping capabilities, then navigation and obstacle avoidance are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic device incorporates sensors that continuously detect the environment and provide feedback to the controller. This feedback loop enables real-time obstacle detection, navigation adjustments, and safe operation. The controller processes sensor data to make autonomous decisions about movement and collection operations, improving navigation reliability while managing complexity through intelligent control algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for autonomously emptying refuse by a robot, comprising: capturing, with at least one sensor positioned on the robot, sensor data of an environment of the robot as the robot navigates within the environment; generating, with a processor of the robot, a map of the environment based on at least the captured sensor data; receiving, with the processor of the robot, a schedule for emptying refuse stored in a container on the robot at a refuse collection location from an application associated with the robot, the application executed on a computing device, wherein the schedule for emptying refuse comprises at least a day and a time; determining, with the processor of the robot, a path of the robot from the refuse collection location; and actuating, with the processor of the robot, the robot to drive along the determined path according to the schedule for emptying refuse.