Robot Cleaner Path Tracking With Floor Marker Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing active traveling cleaners require a long time and are cumbersome for users to designate and change cleaning paths, especially when using the designated region cleaning function, which involves manual operation and path storage.
Innovation Solution
A cleaner equipped with a marker indication device and an image acquisition unit that allows users to intuitively designate paths by tracking the movement of a marker, enabling the cleaner to autonomously set and follow the path, reducing the need for manual path designation and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the cleaner uses the designated region cleaning function with manual path storage, then the cleaner can autonomously travel along stored paths, but it takes a long time to complete region designation and operate the remote control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a marker as an intermediary object that the user places to define the cleaning region boundaries. The marker serves as a visual reference that the cleaner's camera can detect and track, replacing the complex manual coordinate input system. This intermediary simplifies the interaction between the user and the cleaner, allowing region designation through simple marker placement rather than lengthy remote control operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical remote control operation system with an optical recognition system. Instead of requiring the user to manually input coordinates or guide the cleaner through multiple steps using a remote control, the system uses a camera to capture images of the marker and automatically calculate the cleaning region boundaries. This substitution of mechanical interaction with optical detection significantly reduces the time required for path designation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cleaner requires manual remote control operation for region designation, then the cleaner can store and replay paths, but the operation becomes very cumbersome for users
Solution Approach 1:
The marker acts as a mediator that translates the user's intent for region designation into a format the cleaner can automatically process. By placing the marker at desired locations, the user intuitively defines the cleaning region without needing to understand coordinate systems or path storage mechanisms. The marker bridges the gap between simple user action and complex autonomous path following capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system captures visual information of the marker's position through the camera and creates a digital representation of the cleaning region boundaries. This copying of the physical marker positions into digital path data allows the cleaner to store and replay the designated region automatically, while the user only needs to perform the simple physical act of placing markers rather than complex manual programming.
3Measurement precision
If the marker is positioned at the center of the image acquisition unit's field of view, then the marker is easily detected, but the marker cannot be positioned on the floor close to the main body
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the limitation by using the vertical dimension (height) to compensate for horizontal positioning constraints. When the marker is detected at the center of the image (which corresponds to a specific height above the floor), the system calculates the actual floor position by subtracting this height offset. This allows the marker to be physically placed close to the main body on the floor while still being detectable by the camera, effectively expanding the usable cleaning region coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct visual centering requirements with computational geometry. Instead of requiring the marker to be visually centered in the camera frame for accurate positioning, the system uses image processing to detect the marker's position and combines this with known camera parameters (focal length, mounting height, angle) to calculate the actual three-dimensional position on the floor. This substitution of mechanical alignment requirements with computational calculation allows greater flexibility in marker placement.
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
Enables rapid and intuitive path designation, reduces unnecessary travel by the cleaner, and improves obstacle avoidance, allowing for efficient and accurate cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
an image acquisition unit acquiring a front image of the main body
Implementation Method 2
a luminous body marked as the marker... The luminous body may include at least one of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or an infrared light source
Implementation Method 3
an optical pointer for radiating light to a remote site so as to form a spot marked as the marker on the floor... The optical pointer may radiate laser light
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a cleaner including a main body for sucking dust on the floor in a cleaning region while actively traveling, and a marker indication device for indicating a marker on the floor in the cleaning region while moving independently of the main body, wherein the main body includes an image acquisition unit acquiring a front image thereof, and a controller to track a movement trajectory of the marker on the acquired image, set a traveling path, in an actual space, corresponding to the movement trajectory, and control the main body such that the main body travels along the set traveling path.