Robot Cleaner Wheel Control for Groove and Pattern Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robot cleaners often get hindered by obstacles of predetermined patterns on the floor, such as grooves or steps, which can prevent them from rotating and moving normally, and existing solutions require additional support wheels that complicate the design.
Innovation Solution
A robot cleaner with a control unit that senses obstacles using sensors and limits the driving of its wheels to avoid being hindered by predetermined patterns on the floor, generating a floor map to navigate around such obstacles and adjust its movement accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a support wheel is added near the main wheel to prevent the main wheel from being hindered by grooves, then the robot cleaner can pass through grooves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical support wheel system with a sensor-based detection and control system. The obstacle sensor detects groove patterns and the control unit adjusts driving wheel operations to avoid getting hindered, eliminating the need for additional mechanical support components while achieving the same functional goal of passing through grooves
Solution Approach 2:
The robot cleaner uses its own driving wheel and sensor system to solve the groove problem independently. By detecting the groove pattern and autonomously adjusting its driving behavior, the system eliminates the need for separate support wheels, making the system self-sufficient and reducing overall complexity
2Productivity
If the robot cleaner rotates on a preset pattern to clean, then cleaning coverage is improved, but the driving wheel may be hindered by the pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of the driving wheel based on real-time sensor feedback. When the obstacle sensor detects a preset pattern during rotation, the control unit dynamically adjusts the driving wheel operation to prevent hindrance while maintaining the rotating cleaning motion, allowing the system to adapt its behavior based on environmental conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The obstacle sensor provides continuous feedback about the floor pattern to the control unit. This feedback mechanism allows the control unit to monitor the robot's position relative to grooves and adjust driving wheel operations in real-time, ensuring that cleaning rotation continues without the driving wheel becoming hindered by the pattern
3Measurement precision
If obstacle sensing is implemented to detect patterns, then navigation accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The obstacle sensor serves multiple functions: it detects grooves for navigation, identifies preset patterns for avoiding hindrance, and provides information for both positioning and cleaning path planning. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized sensors, achieving high measurement precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a robot cleaner including a man body forming an appearance, at least one driving wheel installed on a lower portion of the main body, a driving unit configured to drive the driving wheel according to an operation of a driving motor, a first obstacle sensor positioned on the lower portion of the main body and configured to sense an obstacle on the floor, and a control unit configured to, when the sensed obstacle on the floor has a preset pattern, limit driving of the at least one driving wheel such that the at least one driving wheel is not hindered by the preset pattern when the main body rotates on the preset pattern according to driving of the at least one driving wheel.