Robot Floor Cleaner Tilt Warning to Prevent Liquid Spills
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous floor cleaners, particularly wet robotic cleaners, are prone to improper use by consumers, leading to potential liquid spills due to incorrect orientation or handling, which can result in accidents and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous floor cleaner equipped with a warning system that includes sensors and an audible warning mechanism to alert users when the device is tilted beyond a certain angle or lifted, preventing spills and misuse, and optionally continues to issue warnings until the user acknowledges the alert.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wet robotic cleaners hold liquid in on-board tanks for cleaning operations, then cleaning functionality is improved, but liquid can spill inside the cleaner if the user is not careful
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of improper orientation or operational conditions before liquid spillage can occur. Sensors detect tilt angles, lift-up conditions, or moisture presence and trigger warnings in advance, allowing users to correct the situation before harmful spillage occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors operational conditions through sensors and provides real-time feedback to users via audible warnings when improper conditions are detected. This feedback loop enables users to understand the current state and take corrective action to prevent liquid spillage.
2Reliability
If the autonomous floor cleaner is equipped with sensors and warning systems to detect improper orientation, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the existing autonomous navigation infrastructure (controllers, processors, and sensors already present for navigation purposes) to additionally perform safety monitoring functions. This allows the system to serve multiple purposes - navigation and safety monitoring - without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The warning system integrates multiple detection capabilities (tilt angle sensing, lift-up detection, moisture sensing) into a unified safety monitoring framework that serves both protective functions and operational guidance, maximizing the utility of the added components.
3Loss of information
If the warning system issues continuous audible warnings until user acknowledgment, then user awareness is improved, but loss of time occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic or repeated audible warnings at appropriate intervals rather than continuous warnings. This approach maintains user awareness of the improper condition while allowing normal operation to continue during brief intervals, reducing unnecessary time loss.
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 warning system effectively reduces the risk of liquid spills and improper use by alerting users to correct the orientation or operational condition of the cleaner, enhancing safety and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The warning system can include at least one speaker on the housing
Implementation Method 2
the controller can receive inputs from at least one sensor, and at least one audible warning can be issued based on input from the at least one sensor. In certain embodiments, the at least one sensor is an IMU, a gyroscope, a lift-up sensor, a cliff sensor, or a moisture sensor inside the housing
Data Source
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AI summary
An autonomous floor cleaner can include a housing, a drive system for autonomously moving the housing over the surface to be cleaned, a controller for controlling the operation of the autonomous floor cleaner, and warning system for issuing an audible warning based on an orientation or operational condition of the robot. Methods for issuing an audible warning are disclosed.