Robot Cleaner Camera-Based Dust Detection for Selective Route Cleaning

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional robot cleaners often waste time and energy by cleaning areas that do not require cleaning, as they follow predetermined driving routes without the ability to identify and focus on dusty areas.

Innovation Solution

A robot cleaner equipped with a camera, vacuum, and processor that acquires images of the floor, identifies dust levels, and adjusts its cleaning route dynamically to only clean areas with significant dust, optimizing cleaning efficiency and reducing unnecessary power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the robot cleaner follows a predetermined driving route to clean all areas, then the cleaning operation covers the entire driving route, but the robot cleaner spends excessive time and consumes unnecessary power in areas where dust does not exist

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning coverageVSAvoidcleaning time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The robot cleaner performs preliminary dust detection using a camera and image processing algorithms before executing the cleaning operation. By identifying dusty areas in advance through image analysis, the robot can generate an optimized cleaning route that targets only areas requiring cleaning, thereby reducing unnecessary travel time and power consumption while maintaining comprehensive cleaning coverage where needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The cleaning route is dynamically adjusted based on real-time dust detection results. Instead of following a fixed predetermined route, the robot cleaner modifies its driving path according to the distribution of dust identified through image processing, enabling adaptive navigation that optimizes both cleaning effectiveness and operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the robot cleaner follows a predetermined driving route to clean all areas, then the cleaning operation covers the entire driving route, but the robot cleaner consumes excessive power in areas where dust does not exist

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning coverageVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The robot cleaner performs preliminary dust detection using a camera and image processing algorithms before executing the cleaning operation. By identifying dusty areas in advance through image analysis, the robot can generate an optimized cleaning route that targets only areas requiring cleaning, thereby reducing unnecessary travel time and power consumption while maintaining comprehensive cleaning coverage where needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The cleaning route is dynamically adjusted based on real-time dust detection results. Instead of following a fixed predetermined route, the robot cleaner modifies its driving path according to the distribution of dust identified through image processing, enabling adaptive navigation that optimizes both cleaning effectiveness and operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If the robot cleaner uses image processing to identify dust areas and adjust driving route, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional sensors and processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The robot cleaner integrates multiple functions into a unified system: the camera serves both for navigation and dust detection, the image processing unit performs both scene understanding and dust identification, and the control system manages both route planning and vacuum activation. This multi-functionality approach reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving improved cleaning efficiency through intelligent dust-based route optimization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

The robot cleaner efficiently completes cleaning operations by selectively targeting dusty areas, thereby reducing overall cleaning time and conserving energy.

Implementation Method 1

a light emitter configured to emit light toward a bottom surface located in front of the robot cleaner

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLight emission: Light Emitting Diode

Data Source

PatentUS20250040776A1Robot cleaner including light emitter and controlling method thereof

Publication Date: 2025.02.06 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A robot cleaner and a control method thereof are provided. The robot cleaner includes a camera, a vacuum, a driver, and at least one processor configured to acquire at least one image through the camera while the robot cleaner is driving along a first driving route, identify an amount of dust in areas within a view angle of the camera based on the acquired image, control the suction part to perform a cleaning operation for an area to be cleaned identified based on the identified amount of dust, and acquire first map data indicating an amount of dust of an area wherein the robot cleaner drove among the areas within the view angle of the camera and second map data indicating an amount of dust of an area wherein the robot cleaner is going to drive among the areas within the view angle of the camera based on the identified amount of dust.