Pool Cleaning Robot Navigation Using External Video Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pool cleaning robots rely on expensive sensors like lasers, ultrasonic, infrared, or underwater vision sensors to navigate, increasing their cost and hardware complexity.
Innovation Solution
A pool cleaning system that uses a separate video capture device to determine and track the position of the pool cleaning robot, eliminating the need for expensive sensors on the robot itself.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If pool cleaning robots use laser, ultrasonic, infrared or underwater vision sensors to monitor environment and generate route, then navigation precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external video capture device as an intermediary to perform the navigation monitoring function. Instead of equipping the pool cleaning robot with complex sensors, a separate video capture device captures images of the pool environment and the robot's position, transmitting them to a computing device for processing. This intermediary approach allows the robot to achieve accurate navigation without carrying complex sensing hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses video images as a copy or representation of the physical pool environment. The video capture device creates visual copies of the pool bottom, walls, and the robot's position, which are then processed by the computing device to determine the robot's location and generate navigation routes. This copying approach replaces direct sensor measurement on the robot with indirect visual information processing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If pool cleaning robots use laser, ultrasonic, infrared or underwater vision sensors to monitor environment, then navigation capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The video capture device serves as an external intermediary that performs the expensive sensing function separately. By moving the video capture functionality outside the robot, the patent avoids incorporating costly sensors into the robot's manufacturing, while still achieving superior navigation capability through centralized image processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing device performs the navigation processing functions centrally, serving multiple purposes: it processes video images to track robot position, generates navigation routes, and controls robot movement. This self-service approach consolidates multiple functions into a single processing unit, reducing the need for specialized expensive components on the robot itself.
Data Source
AI summary
A pool cleaning system is provided. The system comprises a video capture device, a pool cleaning robot separated from the video capture device, and a computing device. The video capture device can transmit one or more videos of a pool to the computing device. The computing device can determine a position of the pool cleaning robot relative to the pool using the one or more videos. The computing device can generate a moving instruction for the pool cleaning robot, based on the position of the pool cleaning robot.