Autonomous floor cleaning system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous floor cleaning systems are costly and complex due to the duplication of mapping, navigation, and stain sensing components in multiple robots, which limits their efficiency and increases expenses.
Innovation Solution
A primary robot with full mapping, navigation, and stain sensing capabilities controls a secondary robot, allowing the secondary robot to leverage these features without duplicating expensive components, enabling a more efficient and cost-effective multi-function cleaning system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple autonomous floor cleaning robots are equipped with full mapping, navigation, and stain sensing components, then each robot can independently perform complete cleaning tasks, but the system cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides robots into two functional segments: primary robots equipped with full mapping, navigation, and stain sensing capabilities, and secondary robots that lack these components. This segmentation allows the system to achieve complete cleaning functionality while reducing overall complexity by not requiring every robot to have all capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The primary robot acts as an intermediary that detects stains and then guides the secondary robot to those locations. Instead of the secondary robot needing its own expensive sensing and navigation systems, it relies on the primary robot to bridge the gap between stain detection and targeted cleaning.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple autonomous floor cleaning robots are equipped with full mapping, navigation, and stain sensing components, then each robot can independently perform complete cleaning tasks, but the system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments robot functionality to match manufacturing cost constraints. Secondary robots are manufactured without expensive mapping and navigation components, while primary robots are manufactured with these capabilities. This segmentation enables cost-effective production while maintaining system versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of giving every robot expensive navigation and mapping capabilities, the system uses the primary robot to create a virtual map and stain locations, then copies this information to guide secondary robots. This approach achieves coordinated multi-robot cleaning without duplicating expensive components across all units.
3Device complexity
If a secondary robot without mapping and navigation components is used, then system cost and complexity are reduced, but the robot cannot independently locate stains or navigate autonomously
Solution Approach 1:
The primary robot serves as an intermediary that performs the autonomous navigation and stain location functions, then transmits this information to the secondary robot. The secondary robot achieves targeted cleaning capability without needing its own navigation systems, as the primary robot mediates the information flow about where cleaning is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The primary robot performs the complex tasks of mapping, navigation, and stain detection for itself, then uses this capability to enable the secondary robot's cleaning function. The system achieves high-level automation through the primary robot's self-service capabilities rather than requiring each robot to be fully autonomous.
4Device complexity
If a beacon deployment system is added to guide the secondary robot to stain locations, then the secondary robot can be directed accurately without full navigation capabilities, but the primary robot's workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation guidance function is extracted from the primary robot's core cleaning tasks and implemented as a separate beacon deployment system. The primary robot deploys physical beacons at stain locations, and the secondary robot follows these beacons using simple sensors. This extraction allows the primary robot to maintain focus on cleaning while still providing navigation guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex electronic navigation and communication system is replaced with a simpler mechanical beacon deployment approach. Instead of requiring continuous wireless communication and complex coordinate sharing between robots, the system uses physical beacons as tangible guides that the secondary robot can follow using basic sensors, reducing the computational burden on the primary robot.
Data Source
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AI summary
A floor cleaning system (8) includes multiple autonomous floor cleaners or robots (100, 200). The robots are configured to share a mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system (186, 1186). A first robot (100, 200) carries the mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system (186, 1186), and a second robot (100, 200) receives information from the mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system (186, 1186) of the first robot (100, 200). The system (8) can include at least one dry vacuuming robot (100) and at least one deep cleaning robot (200).