Cleaning Drone Distance Management for Non-Planar Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drone technologies are inadequate for effectively cleaning non-horizontal and non-planar surfaces, such as bookshelves and objects of various forms, as they lack the necessary tools and precision to efficiently remove dust and perform treatments like dusting and sterilization without user intervention.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for managing drone flight, equipping drones with physical treatment devices like fans, brushes, and germicidal lamps, which measure distances to objects, adjust their position, and perform treatments using sensors and beacons to maintain optimal cleaning efficacy while avoiding disruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If drones are equipped with physical treatment devices for cleaning surfaces, then cleaning capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drone integrates multiple functions (propulsion, navigation, and cleaning) into a single platform. The cleaning device can perform multiple operations (dusting, sterilization, surface treatment) using different modes of the same physical treatment device, reducing the need for separate specialized equipment for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
A physical treatment device acts as an intermediary between the drone and the surface to be cleaned. This device includes components like fans for airflow generation, brushes for mechanical contact, and germicidal lamps for sterilization, enabling the drone to perform various cleaning operations without requiring direct contact or complex integration of multiple separate systems.
2Productivity
If drones maintain optimal distances from objects for treatment, then cleaning efficacy is improved, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drone system continuously measures the distance to the target surface using sensors and adjusts its position in real-time to maintain the optimal treatment distance. This feedback loop ensures that the physical treatment device remains at the correct distance for effective cleaning while accommodating variations in surface geometry and drone positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The drone's distance to the treatment surface is dynamically adjusted during operation rather than being fixed. The system can modify its position and the orientation of the treatment device based on real-time conditions, allowing effective cleaning of surfaces at varying distances and angles without requiring extremely precise predetermined positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If drones perform treatments on non-horizontal surfaces, then adaptability is improved, but flight control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system transitions from traditional horizontal surface cleaning to three-dimensional space cleaning. The drone can approach and treat surfaces from multiple angles and heights, enabling cleaning of vertical walls, ceilings, and irregular surfaces that are inaccessible to floor-based cleaning devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The drone's flight control system dynamically adapts to the geometry of the surface being treated. It can adjust its position, orientation, and movement patterns in real-time to maintain optimal treatment conditions on surfaces of various orientations and complexities, from horizontal floors to vertical walls and irregular structures.
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 autonomous or semi-autonomous drones to efficiently clean and dust various surfaces, including non-horizontal ones, by maintaining optimal distances and using specialized airflows and tools, reducing user intervention and improving cleaning efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
The drone (1) comprises, in addition to its propulsion system, a device for generating an airflow
Implementation Method 2
A drone or UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) is an unmanned aircraft
Implementation Method 3
measuring the distance between the drone and an object present in the environment of the drone
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for managing the flight of a drone comprising a physical treatment device, the method comprises the steps repeated over time of measuring the distance between the drone and an object present in the environment of the drone; adjusting the distance from the drone to the object according to predefined internal parameters; and performing a physical treatment on the object from the drone. Developments describe the management of distances to objects, surface tracking, object recognition, the installation of beacons in the environment, the use of on-board or remotely accessed sensors (e.g. position and contact sensors, cameras, motion detectors) and various types of treatment (e.g. cleaning, dusting, sterilization). Both software aspects (e.g. learning, central or distributed logic, autonomy, cooperation with floor robots) and system aspects (addition of a fan, brush, duster or germicidal lamp) are described.