Robot Cleaner Return Path Planning Using Preliminary Map Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robot cleaners take a long time to find their charging stands when the location is unknown, increasing the risk of battery discharge and interference with obstacles during the return process.
Innovation Solution
The robot cleaner uses a position recognition unit, storage unit, and control unit to map cleaned and uncleaned regions, allowing it to move towards uncleaned areas to search for the charging stand, reducing travel distance and time by performing wall-following after locating a target point in an uncleaned region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot cleaner searches for the charging stand when the position is unknown, then the charging stand can be found, but the search time becomes excessively long
Solution Approach 1:
The robot cleaner performs preliminary mapping of the cleaning area during the cleaning process, storing position information of cleaned regions and uncleaned regions. When returning to charge, it uses this pre-acquired map information to directly navigate to uncleaned regions where the charging stand is likely located, rather than performing a time-consuming search from scratch
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a map data structure as an intermediary that stores position information of cleaned and uncleaned regions. This map serves as a mediator between the robot's current position and the charging stand location, enabling efficient path planning without direct sensing or trial-and-error search
2Reliability
If the robot cleaner takes a long time to return to the charging stand, then thorough search can be performed, but battery discharge risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot accumulates map information during the cleaning process before the return phase. This preliminary data collection enables it to make informed decisions about the most efficient return path, minimizing unnecessary travel and battery consumption while maintaining high probability of successful charging
3Measurement precision
If the robot cleaner searches extensively for the charging stand, then the charging stand position can be accurately located, but the risk of obstacle interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot builds a map of the environment during cleaning, which includes information about obstacles and room layout. When returning to charge, it uses this pre-acquired spatial information to plan a path that avoids known obstacles, thereby reducing the risk of collisions while maintaining accurate localization capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously compares the planned path with real-time sensor data during the return process. If obstacles are detected that were not in the original map, the robot adjusts its path dynamically, combining pre-planned navigation with real-time feedback to maintain both accuracy and safety
Data Source
AI summary
A robot cleaner according to the present invention includes a body provided with a driving unit for movement, a position recognition unit provided in the body to recognize a position of the body, a storage unit configured to store, on a map, a region cleaned while the body is moving by the driving unit, and a control unit configured to control the driving unit, wherein the control unit determines whether a charging stand exists in a cleaning completed region on the map stored in the storage unit when a return condition that the body returns to the charging stand is satisfied, searches for an uncleaned region when the charging stand is not located in the cleaning completed region, and controls the driving unit such that the body moves from a current position to a point in a found uncleaned region or a point around the found uncleaned region.