Autonomous Cleaner Wheel Displacement Sensing for Floor Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional autonomous cleaners lack the ability to efficiently adapt to varying floor surface materials and conditions, leading to disruptions in cleaning operations due to inadequate sensing capabilities for obstacles like elevations and caught-in situations.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a sensor system that detects the displacement of the driving wheel to determine the floor surface material quality and condition, allowing for real-time adjustments in driving torque, speed, and course to avoid obstacles and maintain efficient cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional autonomous cleaner operates without advanced sensing capabilities, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of cleaning operations deteriorates due to inability to detect elevations and caught-in conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The displacement sensor serves multiple functions: it detects floor surface material quality, identifies obstacles like elevations and caught-in conditions, and provides data for both adaptive cleaning control and obstacle avoidance. This multi-functionality improves reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous cleaner uses its own driving wheel displacement data to autonomously determine floor conditions and obstacles without requiring separate dedicated sensors for each function, enabling self-diagnosis and adaptive control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the autonomous cleaner uses a simple driving control system, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different floor surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously receives feedback from the displacement sensor about floor surface conditions and adjusts driving torque, speed, and course in real-time. This feedback mechanism enables adaptive control across different floor materials without requiring complex pre-programming for each surface type.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts driving parameters based on real-time sensor data, transitioning from static pre-programmed control to adaptive dynamic control that responds to actual floor conditions encountered during operation.
3Productivity
If the autonomous cleaner operates at high speed, then the productivity is improved, but the measurement precision of floor surface conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical sensing methods with optical or electromagnetic sensing to detect floor surface conditions. This substitution allows for high-speed operation while maintaining detection precision, as optical/electromagnetic sensors can accurately measure displacement and surface properties without being affected by speed-related mechanical vibrations or contact forces.
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
Enables the autonomous cleaner to effectively navigate and clean diverse floor surfaces without interruptions, ensuring continuous operation and improved cleaning performance by adapting to different materials and obstacles.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor configured to sense a displacement of the driving wheel corresponding to a reference position by sensing a sensor target
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous cleaner has an enhanced structure capable of conducting an efficient cleaning task according to the material quality or the condition of the floor surface of a cleaning space.The autonomous cleaner includes a body, a driving wheel to drive the body, a driving wheel assembly having the driving wheel, and a control unit. The control unit detects a displacement of the driving wheel corresponding to a reference position by sensing a sensor target, determines material quality or condition of a floor surface according to the displacement of the driving wheel, and controls the driving of the autonomous cleaner according to the determined material quality or the condition of the floor surface.