Pool Cleaning Robot Imaging for Precise Navigation in Turbid Water
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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 avoidance to cover the entire pool area without wasting time or energy.
Innovation Solution
The method involves a pool cleaning robot using a stereoscopic camera to acquire images under different illumination conditions, detecting illumination reflections and flickers, and calculating reflection and scatter parameters to determine its location and move accordingly, with the option to illuminate scenes with various colored lights to improve image quality and penetration depth analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the pool cleaning robot uses illumination to capture images for navigation, then image quality and location determination accuracy are improved, but energy consumption increases due to continuous lighting operation
Solution Approach 1:
The robot alternates between periods of illumination for image capture and periods of darkness for energy conservation. The control unit selectively activates the illumination unit only when image capture is required for navigation and location determination, rather than maintaining continuous illumination.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot uses different illumination strategies for different operational needs: active illumination when navigation requires image capture, and passive operation when energy conservation is prioritized. The control unit dynamically adjusts illumination based on the specific operational context.
2Measurement precision
If the pool cleaning robot captures images continuously for precise navigation, then positioning accuracy is improved, but cleaning efficiency decreases due to time spent on image processing
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs image capture and processing at periodic intervals rather than continuously. The control unit determines optimal moments for navigation-related imaging, capturing images only when necessary for location determination, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot captures only the minimum necessary images for accurate navigation rather than continuous full-scene imaging. The control unit selectively activates the sensing unit based on navigation requirements, reducing the total volume of images processed while maintaining sufficient positioning accuracy.
3Reliability
If the pool cleaning robot uses stereoscopic camera for 3D mapping, then obstacle detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stereoscopic camera system serves multiple functions: 3D mapping of the pool environment, obstacle detection and avoidance, and location determination for navigation. By using a single multi-functional sensing system rather than separate dedicated systems for each function, the overall device complexity is reduced.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the stereoscopic camera, illumination unit, and sensing unit into an integrated navigation system controlled by a single control unit. This merging of functions into a unified system reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall device architecture.
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 approach enables the robot to accurately map the pool environment, avoid obstacles, and efficiently clean the pool by ensuring precise navigation and effective image capture, even in turbid or varying lighting conditions, thereby reducing cleaning time and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The illumination unit may include one or more illumination elements such as first and second LEDs
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
Implementation Method 4
acquiring the first images by a stereoscopic camera of the sensing unit
Data Source
AI summary
A method for cleaning a region of a pool, the method may include moving a pool cleaning robot along a cleaning path that covers the region while acquiring, at first different points of time and by a sensing unit of the pool cleaning robot, first images of first scenes, at least one first scene at each first point of time; wherein the acquiring of the first images is executed while illuminating the first scenes by the pool cleaning robot; detecting, in at least one first image, illumination reflected or scattered as a result of the illuminating of the first scenes; removing from the at least one first image information about the illumination reflected or scattered; determining, based at least in part of on the first images, first locations of the pool cleaning robot; and wherein the moving is responsive to the first locations of the pool cleaning robot.