Multi-Robot Cleaning Control for Dynamic Area Assignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning methods for expansive spaces, such as airports or amusement parks, require significant human labor and resources, leading to inefficiencies and inconsistent cleanliness due to the need for manual assignment of cleaning areas and lack of immediate response to changing conditions like increased garbage.
Innovation Solution
A method and control apparatus for cooperative cleaning using multiple robots that automatically assign and reassign cleaning tasks based on real-time monitoring of garbage levels, robot status, and area priority, ensuring non-overlapping coverage and maximizing efficiency by dynamically partitioning the space and reallocating resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple cleaning robots are deployed to clean expansive spaces, then the cleaning coverage area increases, but the coordination complexity and task assignment difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The expansive cleaning area is divided into multiple sub-areas, with each cleaning robot assigned to a specific sub-area. This segmentation allows the system to manage large areas by breaking them into manageable units, reducing the coordination complexity while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a hierarchical control dimension with a central controller that manages task assignment and coordination. This additional control layer organizes multiple robots systematically, preventing chaotic interactions and enabling efficient management of large-scale cleaning operations.
2Ease of operation
If manual assignment of cleaning areas is used, then the system is simple to operate, but the response time to changing conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors cleaning status, robot positions, and environmental conditions through sensors and communication modules. This real-time feedback enables the central controller to dynamically adjust task assignments and respond immediately to changing conditions such as increased garbage accumulation or robot failures.
Solution Approach 2:
Cleaning robots autonomously report their status, location, and cleaning progress to the central controller. The system self-manages task reassignment and coordination without requiring continuous manual intervention, maintaining operational simplicity while achieving rapid automated responses.
3Device complexity
If cleaning areas are fixed and pre-assigned, then the task management is simple, but the task efficiency when robots fail or conditions change deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic task assignment where cleaning areas and tasks are not fixed but can be reallocated based on real-time conditions. When robots fail or environmental conditions change, the central controller dynamically reassigns tasks to maintain optimal cleaning efficiency without requiring complex manual reconfiguration.
4Device complexity
If a single high-capacity cleaning robot is used, then the device complexity is low, but the cleaning speed and productivity for expansive areas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cleaning robots are deployed and coordinated to work simultaneously on different sub-areas of the expansive space. This merging of multiple units achieves higher overall cleaning speed and productivity compared to a single robot, while the central controller manages coordination to avoid redundant efforts.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a method and a control apparatus for cooperative cleaning using multiple cleaning robots, including monitoring an overall cleaning condition of an extensive space and automatically assigning multiple cleaning robots to a space required to be cleaned, and when a cleaning area is fixed based on a cooperative cleaning method, data on an amount of garbage generated from the cleaning area or a cleaning condition of the cleaning area may be accumulated to facilitate easier management of the cleaning.