Cleaning Robot Floor-Transition Detection for Area Confinement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous cleaning robots often unintentionally wander from one room or area to another while cleaning, failing to satisfactorily complete the task within a selected area, especially on uneven or slippery surfaces like area rugs.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning robot equipped with sensors and a controller that emit and detect signals to determine floor surface types and transitions, allowing the robot to confine its movement within a selected area by altering its direction based on detected changes in floor surface characteristics, such as elevation, reflectivity, and roughness, without external confinement barriers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the robot uses autonomous navigation to move around the environment, then the robot can cover multiple rooms and areas, but the robot cannot remain confined to a selected area for thorough cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces virtual boundaries created by signal generators and sensors as intermediaries to confine the robot within a selected area. These invisible barriers detect floor surface type transitions and trigger directional changes, allowing the robot to remain confined without physical walls or barriers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical confinement systems (physical walls, barriers, or guides) with an electronic sensing and control system. The robot uses sensors to detect floor surface changes and electronically controls its direction, substituting mechanical restraint with intelligent navigation based on environmental feedback.
2Productivity
If the robot cleans multiple floor types in one cleaning cycle, then the robot increases cleaning productivity, but the robot cannot provide specialized cleaning for specific floor surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through sensors that continuously detect floor surface type transitions. When the robot encounters a boundary between different floor surfaces, the sensor feedback triggers the controller to alter the robot's direction, preventing it from crossing onto unsuitable surfaces for its cleaning mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the robot based on detected floor surface type. By identifying transitions between different floor surfaces (carpet, hardwood, tile, etc.), the system adjusts the robot's navigation parameters to remain confined to appropriate cleaning zones, matching cleaning behavior to surface characteristics.
3Ease of operation
If the robot uses physical barriers to confine movement, then the robot remains within the selected area, but the device complexity and ease of setup are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the confinement function from physical structures and embeds it within the robot's electronic control system. Instead of adding external physical barriers to the environment, the confinement logic is taken out and integrated into the robot's navigation software, using sensor detection of floor transitions to enforce area boundaries.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the robot maneuvers onto high or slippery rugs, then the robot can clean area rugs, but the robot experiences difficulty and potential loss of control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by detecting floor surface type transitions before the robot encounters problematic surfaces. The sensor system identifies boundaries in advance, allowing the robot to alter its direction proactively before attempting to maneuver onto high or slippery rugs, preventing stability issues before they occur.
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
The robot effectively remains within a designated area, ensuring thorough cleaning of selected surfaces like area rugs by proactively adjusting its path to avoid transitions and maintain cleaning efficiency on varying floor types.
Implementation Method 1
a signal generator carried by the chassis and arranged to direct a signal toward the floor surface; a sensor carried by the chassis and responsive to a reflection of the directed signal from the floor surface
Data Source
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AI summary
A cleaning robot includes a chassis, a drive system connected to the chassis and configured to drive the robot, a signal generator and sensor carried by the chassis, and a controller in communication with the drive system and the sensor. The signal generator directs a signal toward the floor surface. The sensor is responsive to reflected signals from the floor surface. The controller controls the drive system to alter direction of the robot responsive to a reflected signal indicating an edge of the floor surface.