Coverage Robot Mobility for Brush Entanglement and Obstacle Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous coverage robots face challenges in navigating and cleaning surfaces without continuous human guidance, particularly in avoiding obstacles and disentangling from entangling soft media like strings or cords, which can lead to operational interruptions.
Innovation Solution
The robot is equipped with a chassis, a drive system, an edge cleaning head, and a controller that monitors motor current to reverse bias the edge cleaning head motor when entanglement is detected, allowing the robot to continue cleaning while disentangling, and incorporates sensors for obstacle detection and navigation to adjust its path and speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the edge cleaning head rotates at high speed to maintain cleaning efficiency, then cleaning productivity is improved, but the risk of entanglement with soft media increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors motor current as a feedback signal to detect entanglement conditions. When the current exceeds a threshold or shows abnormal patterns indicating soft media entanglement, the controller automatically adjusts the cleaning head rotation speed or direction to resolve the entanglement, then resumes normal cleaning operation without human intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The edge cleaning head rotation speed is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system automatically adjusts rotation speed based on operating conditions, reducing speed when entanglement is detected and restoring high speed when cleaning conditions are normal, thus balancing cleaning efficiency with operational reliability
2Reliability
If the robot stops to disentangle when entanglement is detected, then operational reliability is improved, but cleaning productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs self-service disentanglement by automatically detecting entanglement through motor current monitoring and executing corrective actions such as reversing or pausing the cleaning head rotation. This self-service capability allows the robot to resolve soft media entanglement independently without requiring human intervention or complete operational shutdown
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic monitoring of motor current to detect entanglement conditions. When entanglement is detected, the cleaning head rotation is temporarily reversed or paused for a brief period to unwind the soft media, then normal rotation resumes. This periodic detection and correction mechanism maintains high operational continuity while minimizing productivity loss
3Reliability
If the robot uses complex navigation systems to avoid obstacles, then navigation reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and addresses the soft media entanglement problem as a separate, specific issue distinct from general obstacle avoidance. By focusing on detecting and resolving soft media entanglement through motor current monitoring rather than relying solely on complex external sensors and navigation systems, the solution improves operational reliability without significantly increasing overall device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis, a drive system to maneuver the robot, an edge cleaning head carried, and a controller. The controller is configured to monitor motor current associated with the edge cleaning head and to reverse bias the edge cleaning head motor in response to an elevated motor current, while continuing to maneuver the robot across the floor. In another aspect, an autonomous coverage robot includes a drive system, a bump sensor, and a proximity sensor. The drive system is configured to reduce a speed setting in response to a signal from the proximity sensor indicating detection of a potential obstacle in a forward direction, while continuing to advance the robot according to a heading setting. Furthermore, the drive system is configured to alter the heading setting in response to a signal received from the bump sensor indicating contact with an obstacle.