Robot Cleaner Auxiliary Brush Control for Edge Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robot cleaners face inefficiencies in cleaning operations due to the lack of control over auxiliary cleaning tools, which are not synchronized with the robot's travel and cleaning patterns, particularly when encountering obstacles or walls, leading to incomplete cleaning of edge areas.
Innovation Solution
The robot cleaner is equipped with extendable and retractable auxiliary cleaning units that can be controlled in conjunction with the main brush and travel patterns, allowing for adaptive cleaning operations by extending the units when necessary to reach areas the main brush cannot, and retracting them when inside the cleaning region to focus on main brush cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If auxiliary cleaning tools are mounted to sweep dust into the cleaner body, then cleaning coverage is improved, but cleaning efficiency deteriorates due to lack of synchronization with travel patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary cleaning tools are designed to be dynamically controllable, allowing the control unit to adjust their operation state (rotating or non-rotating) based on the robot cleaner's travel pattern. During wall tracing travel, the auxiliary cleaning tools rotate to clean edge areas, while during random travel in the cleaning region, they remain non-rotating to avoid interference with main brush cleaning, thus optimizing both coverage and efficiency
2Reliability
If auxiliary cleaning tools operate continuously, then edge cleaning is improved, but time consumption increases in open cleaning regions
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary cleaning tools operate periodically based on the travel pattern detection. They rotate only during wall tracing travel phases when edge cleaning is needed, and remain stationary during random travel phases in open cleaning regions. This periodic operation ensures reliable edge cleaning while minimizing time consumption in areas where the main brush is sufficient
3Device complexity
If auxiliary cleaning tools are fixed in position, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different cleaning scenarios deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary cleaning tools are designed with multi-functionality, serving dual purposes: cleaning edge areas during wall tracing travel and being retractable or inactive during random travel in cleaning regions. The control unit enables these tools to adapt their operation state based on different travel patterns, providing versatility without significantly increasing structural complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are a robot cleaner (1) and a method for controlling the same, capable of controlling a travelling or cleaning pattern of a robot cleaner in accordance with extension and retraction operations of an auxiliary cleaning tool (100, 100a, 100b) to perform an efficient cleaning operation. The robot cleaner (1) includes a plurality of auxiliary cleaning units (100, 100a, 100b) mounted to a bottom of the robot cleaner (1) such that the auxiliary cleaning units (100, 100a, 100b) are extendable and retractable, an obstacle sensor (61) to sense an obstacle in a cleaning region of the robot cleaner (1), and a control unit (200) to extend the auxiliary cleaning units (100, 100a, 100b) while travelling in a wall tracing manner along the periphery of the cleaning region, and to retract the auxiliary cleaning units (100, 100a, 100b) while the robot cleaner (1) travels in an inner portion of the cleaning region when traveling of the periphery of the cleaning region is finished.