Floor-Treating Robot Edge-Following With Reflectance-Adaptive Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing autonomous cleaning robots fail to accurately follow edges of obstacles due to varying signal strength values from side sensors, leading to inconsistent distances from different medium surfaces, which affects the effectiveness of edge-following cleaning mode.
Innovation Solution
The autonomous moving floor-treating robot employs a control method that involves colliding with an obstacle, measuring initial and real-time signal strength values, and adjusting its angle of deflection based on predetermined ranges and angles to maintain parallelism with the obstacle, using side-looking and angle recognition sensors to determine the optimal cleaning path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the robot uses a fixed pre-stored value to judge distance from obstacles, then the control method is simple, but the distance measurement precision varies with different obstacle mediums
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the control parameter from a fixed pre-stored value to a dynamic value that adapts to different obstacle mediums. The control unit adjusts the threshold value based on the signal strength characteristics of the current obstacle medium, allowing the robot to maintain accurate distance measurement across various mediums such as wood, metal, and glass surfaces with different reflectance properties.
2Ease of operation
If the robot maintains a fixed distance from obstacles, then the cleaning path is simple, but the cleaning effectiveness varies with different surface reflectance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the side sensor continuously monitors the signal strength from obstacles, and the control unit adjusts the robot's distance from the obstacle based on this feedback. When the signal strength indicates a highly reflective surface, the robot automatically increases its distance; when the signal strength indicates a less reflective surface, the robot decreases its distance, ensuring consistent cleaning effectiveness across different mediums.
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
This method allows the robot to consistently maintain a precise distance from obstacles, ensuring thorough edge-following cleaning regardless of the medium's reflectance, thereby improving the cleaning effectiveness and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
Since the mediums of wall surface have different reflectance values, the signal strength values sensed at the same distance are also different
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous moving floor-treating robot and a control method thereof for edge-following floor-treating are provided. The control method includes the following steps: the floor-treating robot collides with an obstacle and is deflected toward the direction away from the obstacle by a basic angle after the collision, measures an initial signal strength value by a side-looking sensor after the deflection, and then moves on and treats the floor; a real-time signal strength value is acquired by said side-looking sensor alter the robot runs for a predetermined time; the difference value between said two signal strength values is compared, and whether the difference value is in a predetermined range is judged, if yes, the robot keeps moving and treating the floor, if not, the robot is driven to be deflected by an adjusting angle and acquires the current real-time signal strength value; the difference value between said current and the last real-time signal strength values is compared, and whether the difference value is in a predetermined range is judged, if yes, the robot keeps moving and treating the floor, if not, the steps of deflection, comparing and so on are implemented. The present invention is unaffected by the media of the obstacle, and can effectively treat the edge region of the obstacle.