Robot Cleaner Edge Cleaning with Fault-Aware Travel Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robot cleaners are ineffective in cleaning edge areas when auxiliary cleaning units malfunction, as they cannot efficiently reach and clean portions of the floor adjacent to obstacles or walls due to the malfunction.
Innovation Solution
A robot cleaner with extendable and retractable auxiliary cleaning units, equipped with a sensing unit to detect operation states and a control unit that adjusts travel paths based on the sensing results, ensuring efficient cleaning even when auxiliary cleaning units are not functioning properly by rerouting the cleaning path to utilize operational units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the robot cleaner uses auxiliary cleaning units to clean edge areas, then cleaning coverage is improved, but cleaning efficiency deteriorates when auxiliary cleaning units malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The robot cleaner continuously monitors the operation status of auxiliary cleaning units through sensing units. When malfunction is detected, the system receives feedback about the faulty unit and automatically adjusts travel paths to compensate, ensuring cleaning efficiency is maintained despite the malfunction
Solution Approach 2:
The robot cleaner dynamically adjusts its travel pattern based on real-time operational status of auxiliary cleaning units. When a unit malfunctions, the system changes from standard cleaning pattern to an adapted pattern that utilizes only functional units, maintaining cleaning coverage and efficiency
2Area of stationary object
If the robot cleaner travels adjacent to edge areas, then cleaning coverage is improved, but cleaning effectiveness deteriorates when auxiliary cleaning units malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing unit provides continuous feedback on auxiliary cleaning unit operation. When malfunction is detected during edge area cleaning, the control unit receives this feedback and adjusts the travel path to ensure effective cleaning is still achieved using operational units
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by modifying the travel path based on which auxiliary cleaning units are functional. This parameter adjustment ensures that cleaning effectiveness is maintained by aligning travel patterns with the actual operational capabilities of the cleaning units
Data Source
AI summary
A robot cleaner and a control method for the same are disclosed. The robot cleaner and control method are capable of detecting malfunction of an auxiliary cleaning unit, and controlling travel of the robot cleaner in accordance with the detection result, to achieve efficient cleaning of an edge area even when there is an error in the auxiliary cleaning unit. The robot cleaner includes a plurality of auxiliary cleaning units mounted to a bottom portion of the robot cleaner such that the auxiliary cleaning units are extendable and retractable, a sensing unit to sense an extension, retraction, or rotation state of each of the auxiliary cleaning units, and a control unit to determine whether the auxiliary cleaning units operate normally, based on a sensing result of the sensing unit, and to control travel of the robot cleaner, based on a result of the determination.