Robot Cleaner Trajectory Following Under Communication Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile robot systems face challenges in efficiently following complex moving paths and maintaining communication, leading to delays and inefficiencies in collaborative cleaning tasks, especially in complex environments or when communication with a server is disrupted.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robot system where a following robot stores and adapts to the trajectory information of a leading robot, allowing flexible follow-up by modifying its path based on obstacles, operation state, and floor conditions, using sensors and communication units to determine if it can follow the path, and adjusting its movement to minimize delays and maintain efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the slave robot determines the position of the master robot through server communication, then the position information can be obtained, but the communication may be disconnected when located at places difficult to communicate with the server
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dual communication architecture where the server acts as an intermediary for normal operations, but direct peer-to-peer communication between robots serves as a backup intermediary when server communication fails. This resolves the contradiction by providing multiple communication pathways without requiring a completely complex system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes communication parameters by switching between server-based communication and direct robot-to-robot communication based on connection status. When server communication is unavailable, the slave robot changes its communication mode to receive position information directly from the master robot, maintaining reliability without permanent system complexity.
2Productivity
If the following robot strictly follows the complex moving path of the leading robot, then the cleaning coverage is maximized, but the completion time is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The following robot employs dynamic path adjustment capabilities, allowing it to adaptively modify its trajectory based on real-time conditions. When the leading robot creates a complex path, the following robot can dynamically simplify its own path while maintaining cleaning coverage, thus reducing completion time without sacrificing productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows the following robot to perform partial following of the leading robot's path. Instead of strictly replicating every movement, the following robot performs cleaning actions on already-cleaned areas or takes shortcuts in certain regions, accepting some redundancy in exchange for significantly reduced completion time while maintaining overall cleaning efficiency.
3Area of stationary object
If the robot cleaner changes moving direction frequently to clean complex spaces, then the cleaning coverage is improved, but the trajectory becomes complex and difficult to follow
Solution Approach 1:
The following robot uses a simplified copying mechanism where it captures key position and orientation data from the leading robot rather than precisely replicating complex trajectories. This allows the following robot to mimic the general cleaning pattern and coverage areas without being constrained by the leading robot's frequent direction changes, reducing trajectory complexity while maintaining cleaning coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile robot according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a traveling unit configured to move a main body; a memory configured to store trajectory information of a moving path corresponding to the movement of the main body; a communication unit configured to communicate with another mobile robot that emits a signal; and a controller configured to recognize the location of the another mobile robot based on the signal, and control the another mobile robot to follow a moving path corresponding to the stored trajectory information based on the recognized location. In addition, the controller may control the moving of the another mobile robot to remove at least part of the stored trajectory information, and allow the another mobile robot to follow a moving path corresponding to the remaining trajectory information in response to whether the moving path corresponding to next trajectory information to be followed by the another mobile robot satisfies a specified condition.