Robot Cleaner Obstacle Clearing Device for Autonomous Navigation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Robot cleaners face inconvenience and inefficiency due to the need for manual removal of obstacles like toys and cables from their cleaning path, which can obstruct their operation and reduce cleaning effectiveness, especially in areas difficult to access.
Innovation Solution
A robot cleaner equipped with an obstacle clearing device that includes a rotatable arm with suction and tilting capabilities, allowing it to detect and remove obstacles by either suction or pushing, based on type and weight, enabling autonomous navigation and improved cleaning efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual removal of obstacles is required before operation, then the robot cleaner can operate without interruption, but the user convenience deteriorates and preparation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot cleaner is equipped with an obstacle clearing device that enables it to autonomously detect, grasp, and remove obstacles from its driving route without human intervention. The system includes sensors for obstacle detection, a grasping mechanism with adjustable grip force, and control logic that automatically activates the clearing function when obstacles are detected, allowing the robot to service itself during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The robot cleaner performs preliminary obstacle clearing actions before they can interfere with the cleaning operation. The system proactively scans the driving route using sensors, identifies potential obstacles in advance, and removes them before they can block the cleaning path, ensuring uninterrupted operation without requiring pre-preparation by the user
2Strength
If the robot cleaner encounters heavy obstacles, then it can maintain structural integrity by avoiding them, but cleaning productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The obstacle clearing device features dynamically adjustable grip force that adapts to the weight and type of detected obstacles. The control system monitors obstacle characteristics through sensors and modulates the motor-driven grasping mechanism accordingly, applying sufficient force to move lighter obstacles while detecting and avoiding heavier ones that exceed the device's capacity, thus maintaining structural safety while maximizing cleaning productivity
3Adaptability or versatility
If the robot cleaner is equipped with obstacle clearing capabilities, then cleaning accessibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The obstacle clearing device is integrated into the existing robot cleaner platform, sharing common components such as the main body structure, power supply, control system, and navigation sensors. The grasping mechanism uses the same motor technology and control architecture as other robot functions, allowing the system to perform both cleaning and obstacle clearing operations with a unified platform, thereby improving cleaning accessibility while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity
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 can autonomously remove obstacles, enhancing its ability to clean surfaces while avoiding manual pre-organization of the area, improving cleaning efficiency and accessibility, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
Implementation Method 1
a suction device providing a suction force to a head part of the arm device
Data Source
AI summary
A robot cleaner is disclosed. The robot cleaner includes a driving device, an obstacle clearing device for clearing an obstacle on a driving route, a memory storing a map of a cleaning area and an obstacle category, and a processor controlling the driving device so that the robot cleaner drives in the cleaning area, wherein the processor may, while the robot cleaner is driving in the cleaning area, control the obstacle clearing device to take a motion corresponding to the obstacle category by an obstacle detected by a sensor.