Bathroom Cleaning Robot with Autonomous Door Opening and Tool Changing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning robots require human intervention or guidance for tasks such as holding open spring-loaded doors and changing cleaning tools, limiting their autonomy in cleaning environments like bathrooms.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous cleaning robot equipped with a mobility module, robotic arm, tool change module, and door opening module, enabling it to navigate, hold open doors, and switch between various cleaning tools without human supervision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If traditional cleaning robots are used, then they can perform basic cleaning tasks, but they require human intervention for complex tasks such as holding open doors and changing cleaning tools
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning robot is designed with multiple functional modules including a door holding module with grippers, a robotic arm with multiple degrees of freedom, and a tool changing module. These universal components enable the robot to perform diverse tasks such as holding spring-loaded doors open, navigating to different locations, and switching between various cleaning tools (brushes, mops, vacuum attachments) without human intervention, thereby resolving the contradiction between automation extent and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot system is divided into distinct functional modules: mobility module for navigation, door holding module with adjustable grippers, robotic arm module with multiple joints, tool storage module, and tool changing module. Each module operates semi-independently under centralized control, allowing the complex autonomous functions to be managed through modular architecture, thus enabling high automation while organizing system complexity into manageable segments.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple specialized cleaning robots are deployed, then specific cleaning tasks can be performed, but multiple robots are required increasing system complexity and coordination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
A single cleaning robot is equipped with a universal tool interface and storage system that can accommodate multiple types of cleaning tools (brushes for different surfaces, mops for wet cleaning, vacuum attachments for debris). The robotic arm with multiple degrees of freedom can manipulate various tools, and the tool changing module automatically switches between them based on task requirements. This multi-functionality provides task versatility equivalent to multiple specialized robots while using only one robot unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot employs dynamic tool selection and configuration based on real-time task requirements and environmental conditions. The tool changing module can rapidly switch between different cleaning tools during operation, and the robotic arm can adjust its configuration and movement patterns dynamically. This dynamic adaptability allows one robot to replace multiple specialized robots while maintaining task-specific performance.
3Ease of operation
If a robotic arm with multiple degrees of freedom is added, then tool manipulation capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic arm is segmented into multiple independent joints and segments, each controlled by separate actuators. This segmentation allows each joint to be optimized for specific movements (rotation, translation, gripping) while maintaining overall coordination through centralized control. The modular joint design simplifies the control architecture compared to a monolithic multi-degree-of-freedom arm, enabling sophisticated tool manipulation while managing complexity through divided functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A centralized control system acts as an intermediary between the multiple robotic arm joints and the tool manipulation tasks. The control system coordinates the complex interactions between joints, handles kinematic calculations, and translates high-level task commands into specific joint movements. This intermediary control layer simplifies the overall system by abstracting the complexity of multi-joint coordination, making the robotic arm easier to operate and control despite its multiple degrees of freedom.
Data Source
AI summary
A bathroom cleaning robot can include a main body, a mobility module, a robotic arm, different cleaning tools, a tool change module, and a door opening module. The main body can have an outer housing containing internal components that facilitate autonomous bathroom cleaning. The mobility module can move the bathroom cleaning robot autonomously across floors. The robotic arm can have a fixed end, a movable end, and multiple movable arm segments therebetween. Each cleaning tool can be mounted along an outer robot surface and can be removed and manipulated by the robotic arm to perform a cleaning function. The tool change module can facilitate securely coupling and uncoupling the robotic arm to each different cleaning tool. The door opening module can pull and hold open a spring-loaded door while the mobility module moves the bathroom cleaning robot through the open door.