Multi-Robot Floor Cleaning System with Shared Mapping and Navigation

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 effectiveness and increases expenses.

Innovation Solution

A primary robot equipped with full mapping, navigation, and stain sensing technology controls a secondary robot, allowing the secondary robot to leverage these features without duplicating expensive components, thereby reducing costs and complexity while enhancing cleaning capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple robots are equipped with full mapping, navigation, and stain sensing components, then each robot can independently perform advanced cleaning tasks, but the system cost and complexity increase significantly due to component duplication

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning capabilitiesVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the mapping, navigation, and stain sensing capabilities into a centralized primary robot, while the secondary robot focuses on execution tasks. This consolidation eliminates duplicate high-cost components across multiple robots while maintaining comprehensive cleaning capabilities through coordinated operation between the primary and secondary robots.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The primary robot is designed with multi-functional capabilities including mapping, navigation, stain detection, and control functions that serve the entire system. This universal design allows one robot to perform multiple roles that would otherwise require separate specialized components in each robot, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple robots are equipped with full mapping, navigation, and stain sensing components, then each robot can independently perform advanced cleaning tasks, but the system cost increases due to duplication of expensive components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning capabilitiesVSAvoidsystem cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the mapping, navigation, and stain sensing capabilities into a centralized primary robot, while the secondary robot focuses on execution tasks. This consolidation eliminates duplicate high-cost components across multiple robots while maintaining comprehensive cleaning capabilities through coordinated operation between the primary and secondary robots.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10602898B2Autonomous floor cleaning system

Publication Date: 2020.03.31 BISSELL INC

AI summary

A floor cleaning system includes multiple autonomous floor cleaners or robots. The robots are configured to share a mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system. A first robot carries the mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system, and a second robot receives information from the mapping, navigation, and/or stain sensing system of the first robot. The system can include at least one dry vacuuming robot and at least one deep cleaning robot.