Robot and method for autonomous inspection or processing of floor areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous floor surface inspection and processing robots often face challenges in ensuring complete coverage due to temporary maps, lack of user influence, and frequent interaction requirements, leading to inefficient cleaning and user annoyance.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robot equipped with a drive module, processing module, navigation module, sensor module, analysis unit, and communication module that uses a permanent map to navigate, detect deviations, and adapt interaction based on user-defined criteria, allowing for user intervention and optimized processing operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a permanent map is used for navigation and processing planning, then processing efficiency and completeness are improved, but the system complexity and user interaction requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments map management into distinct components: permanent map storage for structural information, temporary map storage for processing status, and deviation detection for changes. This segmentation allows the system to maintain permanent maps for efficiency while managing complexity through modular organization of map-related functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary deviation detection mechanism that compares current sensor data with the permanent map to identify changes. This intermediary layer shields the core permanent map from direct modification, reducing system complexity by providing a controlled interface between the permanent map and dynamic environmental changes.
2Loss of information
If the robot autonomously detects and reports all deviations from the permanent map, then complete information is provided to the user, but user annoyance increases due to excessive interactions
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of reporting all detected deviations, the system applies partial action by selectively reporting only significant deviations based on predefined criteria. This filters out minor or irrelevant changes, providing sufficient information for user decision-making without causing annoyance through excessive notifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of information reporting from comprehensive to selective by introducing significance thresholds and deviation criteria. This parameter change allows the system to maintain information completeness for important matters while reducing interaction frequency for minor changes, thereby improving user satisfaction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the robot allows user intervention in processing based on deviation information, then processing adaptability is improved, but the extent of automation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-defining criteria for significant deviations and pre-planning alternative processing routes. When a deviation is detected, the robot has already prepared possible responses, allowing it to maintain high automation while enabling user intervention when truly necessary, thus balancing adaptability with autonomy.
Data Source
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AI summary
A mobile, self-propelling robot for carrying out activities autonomously is described. The robot has the following: a drive module for moving the robot over the floor surface, a processing module for carrying out the activities during a processing operation; a navigation module which is designed to navigate the robot over the floor surface during the processing operation on the basis of a map of the surroundings, and to store and manage one or more maps of the surroundings. The robot also comprises at least one sensor module for sensing information relating to the structure of the surroundings; an analysis unit which is designed to determine the surface processed during a processing operation, to compare said surface with a reference and to store information about a deviation between the reference and the surface which is actually processed, and a communication module which is designed to bring about a connection to a man/machine interface during or after termination or after interruption of the processing operation, in order to communicate the stored information about a deviation between the reference and the actually processed surface and thereby provide a user with the possibility of intervening in the processing operation, of making changes to the surroundings or of starting a new processing operation, wherein on the basis of specific, predefinable criteria it is decided whether information is to be communicated on request by the user, without request, or not at all. The communication module is also designed to receive a control instruction from the user and to interrupt, continue, modify or start again the processing operation.