Pool Cleaning Robot Stereoscopic Camera Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pool cleaning robots face challenges in navigating efficiently and effectively around obstacles and irregular pool shapes, requiring precise positioning and obstacle detection to cover the entire pool area without slipping or getting stuck.
Innovation Solution
The pool cleaning robot employs a stereoscopic camera system with illumination units that acquire images under different lighting conditions, detect illumination reflections and flickers, and calculate reflection and scatter parameters to determine its location and move accordingly, using a processor to select between illuminated and non-illuminated image acquisition based on time and ambient conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the pool cleaning robot uses a stereoscopic camera system with illumination units to acquire images under different lighting conditions, then the positioning precision and obstacle detection capability are improved, but the energy consumption and cleaning time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robot alternates between acquiring images with illumination and without illumination in periodic cycles. The controller selectively activates illumination units only when needed based on ambient light conditions, creating a periodic pattern of illumination that reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining sufficient positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes illumination parameters (intensity, duration, activation state) based on ambient light conditions and cleaning progress. The controller adjusts whether to activate illumination units by evaluating current lighting conditions, effectively changing the illumination parameter from constant to variable to reduce energy consumption.
2Measurement precision
If the pool cleaning robot acquires images under different lighting conditions and processes reflection parameters, then the obstacle detection accuracy is improved, but the cleaning efficiency and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs image acquisition and processing in periodic cycles rather than continuously. It alternates between imaging modes (with and without illumination) and processes reflection parameters at specific intervals, which maintains obstacle detection accuracy while preventing continuous operation from reducing cleaning efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial image processing by selectively analyzing only the necessary reflection parameters rather than processing all image data. The controller determines whether full processing is needed based on current cleaning requirements, applying partial action to maintain efficiency while achieving sufficient detection accuracy.
3Reliability
If the pool cleaning robot uses multiple sensing units and image processing algorithms, then the navigation reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stereoscopic camera system serves multiple functions: it captures images for positioning, detects obstacles through reflection analysis, and provides navigation data. This multi-functional approach increases reliability by using a single integrated system rather than separate dedicated sensors for each function, thereby managing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines the illumination units with the stereoscopic camera system into an integrated imaging apparatus. The controller merges image acquisition, illumination control, and reflection parameter processing into a unified control algorithm, reducing the complexity that would arise from managing separate independent systems.
4Measurement precision
If the pool cleaning robot removes illumination reflection information from images, then the positioning accuracy is improved, but the loss of useful information may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The controller extracts and removes only the specific illumination reflection information that interferes with positioning accuracy from the images. This selective extraction preserves other useful information in the images such as obstacle data and navigation features, minimizing information loss while improving positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful effect of illumination reflections into a beneficial process by using the reflection analysis to identify and remove only the interfering components. The same illumination that causes reflections also enables the detection and removal of reflection artifacts, turning a disadvantage into a positioning advantage.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the robot to accurately navigate and clean the pool by distinguishing between pool surfaces and obstacles, reducing cleaning time and energy consumption while avoiding slippery areas and irregular shapes.
Implementation Method 1
an illumination unit (which may include one or more illumination elements such as first and second LEDs, white LED and a colored LED)
Implementation Method 2
detecting, in at least one first image, illumination reflected or scattered as a result of the illuminating of the first scenes
Implementation Method 3
detecting, in at least one first image, illumination reflected or scattered as a result of the illuminating of the first scenes
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A pool cleaning robot (10) for cleaning a pool, comprising a housing (90), a filtering unit (91) that is constructed and arranged to filter fluid, a fluid control unit (94) that is constructed and arranged to control a flow of the fluid within the pool cleaning robot, a lighting system that comprises at least one laser beam emitter, the lighting system is constructed and arranged to illuminate a surroundings of pool cleaning robot by at least a green light, a sensing unit (96) that comprises a first camera and a second camera that are spaced apart from each other and are constructed and arranged to obtain multiple images of the surroundings of the pool cleaning robot, while the surroundings are illuminated by the lighting system, a processor (46) constructed and arranged to process the images of the surroundings of the pool cleaning robot and a drive system (93) that is constructed and arranged to move the pool cleaning robot along a cleaning path. Further, the Application defines a corresponding method for cleaning a swimming pool using a lighting system with a laser beam emitter and first and second cameras that are spaced apart from each other and belong to a sensing unit of the pool cleaning robot.