Flexible Extraction Unit for Submerged Robot Retrieval
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Manual extraction of cordless robots from pools, especially when partially submerged, is challenging due to distorted visual paths caused by refraction and hidden interfaces, requiring an efficient extraction method.
Innovation Solution
An extraction unit comprising a handle, a bendable intermediate element, and an interfacing element with an asymmetrical hook design, allowing for easy and effective retrieval of submerged robots by converting compression into angular movement for secure engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual extraction is performed by guiding the extraction unit through the water, then the robot can be retrieved, but the visual path is distorted due to refraction making it difficult to locate the robot interface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual guidance with an optical detection system. A camera mounted on the extraction unit captures images of the pool bottom, and an image processing system identifies the robot interface location, substituting human visual search with automated optical detection to overcome refraction distortions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an optical copy of the underwater environment by capturing images with a camera. This visual copy allows the system to process and analyze the location of the robot interface without directly observing it through distorted water, enabling accurate localization despite refraction effects.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the extraction unit uses a rigid structure, then it provides structural stability, but it cannot adapt to hidden or obscured robot interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The extraction unit is divided into distinct functional segments: a rigid handle providing structural stability, a flexible intermediate element enabling adaptation, and an interfacing element for robot engagement. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill its specific function while collectively solving both stability and adaptability requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The extraction unit incorporates a flexible intermediate element that can dynamically change its configuration. This flexible section allows the unit to bend and adapt its shape to reach hidden or obscured robot interfaces while the rigid handle maintains overall structural stability during operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the extraction unit interfacing element uses a symmetrical hook design, then it is simple to manufacture, but it cannot securely engage with the robot interface when orientation is uncertain
Solution Approach 1:
The interfacing element employs an asymmetrical hook design with distinct internal and external splines that differ from each other. This asymmetry ensures that the hook can only engage with the robot interface in the correct orientation, providing secure engagement even when the initial orientation is uncertain, while remaining manufacturable using standard processes.
Data Source
AI summary
An extraction unit that may includes a handle, a bendable intermediate element; and an extraction unit interfacing element that is configured to interface with a robot; wherein the bendable intermediate element is connected between the handle and the extraction unit interfacing element.