Non-Circular Cleaning Robot Stuck-State Detection and Backward Escape
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cleaning robots often get stuck in confined spaces due to their size being smaller than the required rotation space, leading to failure in moving forward or rotating out of such spaces.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning robot with a non-circular main body and sensors to detect obstacles, capable of rotating by a predetermined angle and performing backward movement to escape stuck states, utilizing detectors on multiple surfaces to assess and manage stuck situations effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the cleaning robot uses a non-circular main body shape, then the robot can perform wet cleaning and dry cleaning operations, but the robot cannot rotate within the required space when encountering obstacles in confined areas
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attempting to rotate the main body in confined spaces, the invention inverts the approach by making the main body non-rotating and using the cleaning tool assembly to perform rotation-like cleaning motions. The main body moves forward in straight lines while the cleaning tool rotates or moves independently to clean the floor surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention divides the cleaning function from the main body movement function. The main body handles navigation and movement, while the cleaning tool assembly handles the actual cleaning operations. This segmentation allows the main body to have a simple non-rotating structure while the cleaning tool provides the necessary rotational cleaning action.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cleaning robot detects obstacles and attempts to rotate around them, then the robot can navigate around obstacles, but the robot gets stuck when the main body size is smaller than the required rotation space
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the traditional obstacle navigation approach by eliminating the rotation function from the main body. Instead of rotating around obstacles, the robot detects obstacles and moves forward while the cleaning tool assembly performs the cleaning function, effectively navigating obstacles through forward movement rather than rotational maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning tool assembly acts as an intermediary between the main body and the floor surface. When the main body encounters an obstacle or confined space, the cleaning tool can independently adjust its position and orientation to continue cleaning, mediating between the main body's movement constraints and the cleaning requirement.
3Volume of moving object
If the cleaning robot uses a non-circular main body shape, then the robot structure is more compact, but the robot cannot perform complete rotation to escape from stuck states
Solution Approach 1:
The invention eliminates the need for main body rotation by making the main body non-rotating. The compact non-circular main body shape is maintained, and the cleaning function is transferred to the cleaning tool assembly which can perform rotational or oscillating motions independent of the main body's orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces dynamic elements in the cleaning tool assembly that can rotate, oscillate, or adjust independently of the main body. This allows the cleaning function to remain dynamic and adaptive while the main body maintains a fixed, compact non-circular shape for space efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaning robot includes a non-circular main body, a moving assembly mounted on a bottom surface of the main body to perform forward movement, backward movement and rotation of the main body, a cleaning tool assembly mounted on the bottom surface of the main body to clean a floor, a detector to detect an obstacle around the main body, and a controller to determine whether an obstacle is present in a forward direction of the main body based on a detection signal of the detector, control the rotation of the main body to determine whether the main body rotates by a predetermined angle or more upon determining that the obstacle is present in the forward direction, and determine that the main body is in a stuck state to control the backward movement of the main body if the main body rotates by the predetermined angle or less.