Autonomous Robot Coverage Path Planning for Unknown Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for navigating and covering unknown environments, such as robotic cleaners, often appear random, fail to efficiently cover accessible portions of a surface, particularly those near the starting location, and struggle to thoroughly cover perimeters, including obstacles, leading to user doubts about the efficacy of the cleaning process.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device configured to navigate an unknown environment using region-based and perimeter-based coverage processes, which involve obtaining the current pose, establishing coverage directions, and dynamically resizing regions to ensure predictable and thorough coverage, while minimizing computational resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional systems use random navigation patterns to cover unknown surfaces, then the mobile device can traverse the surface, but the coverage appears random to users and fails to efficiently cover accessible portions near the starting location
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the unknown surface into discrete cells or regions that can be individually identified and covered. The mobile device creates a map of the environment by dividing it into manageable units, allowing systematic coverage rather than random traversal. This segmentation enables the device to track which areas have been covered and prioritize accessible regions near the starting location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary mapping and planning actions before actual coverage begins. By first creating a mental or digital map of the accessible surface areas and identifying perimeter locations, the mobile device can then execute coverage paths that efficiently target accessible portions near the starting location, rather than wandering randomly.
2Reliability
If conventional systems attempt to cover the entire surface uniformly, then complete coverage is achieved, but perimeters and obstacles are not thoroughly covered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different coverage strategies to different parts of the environment. Perimeter regions receive specialized attention with dedicated perimeter-following behaviors, while internal regions use efficient area-covering patterns. This local differentiation ensures that perimeters and obstacles are thoroughly covered with appropriate attention, while maintaining overall coverage efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from two-dimensional area coverage to three-dimensional perimeter following by navigating along the edges and boundaries of the environment. This dimensional shift allows the mobile device to systematically cover perimeter regions that would be missed by standard area-covering algorithms, ensuring complete coverage of boundaries and obstacles.
3Reliability
If conventional systems use complex navigation algorithms to improve coverage, then coverage quality improves, but computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device uses its own sensor data and onboard processing to create maps and plan coverage paths without requiring external computational resources. The system serves itself by utilizing its mounted sensors to perceive the environment, process the spatial information, and generate navigation commands autonomously, minimizing the need for complex external computing infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the navigation problem by representing the environment in terms of discrete cells and simple geometric relationships rather than continuous complex coordinates. This parameter transformation simplifies the computational requirements while maintaining coverage quality, allowing the mobile device to execute efficient coverage algorithms with limited computational resources.
Data Source
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AI summary
A mobile device configured to navigate a surface, the robot comprising a locomotion system and one or more sensors wherein the mobile device is further configured : - to determine a path to navigate the mobile device from a first location (A) of a first region to a portion (B) of the first region that has not been traversed by the mobile device - to defer coverage of the portion (B) of the first region by operating the locomotion system to move the mobile device to a second location (C) that is associated with a second region of the surface before traversing the portion (B) of the first region based on the path that was determined.