Cleaning Robot Escape Control at Floor Transition Traps

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Solution Overview

Problem

Intelligent mobile apparatuses, such as cleaning robots, often get trapped when transitioning between different types of ground surfaces due to differences in surface type and height, preventing them from completing their tasks.

Innovation Solution

The apparatus acquires ground medium attribute information when trapped, controls its movement to exit the trapping region in a different direction, and sets a target advancing direction and distance to re-enter, using sensors and controllers to navigate away from the trap effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the intelligent mobile apparatus continues to travel along the original direction after escaping the trapping region, then it may complete its cleaning task efficiently, but it risks re-entering the same trapping region and getting trapped again

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning task completion efficiencyVSAvoidrisk of re-trapping

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuing in the original direction which leads to re-trapping, the apparatus inverts its approach by selecting a different direction to re-enter the trapping region. This inversion of the original path prevents repeated entrapment while still allowing the apparatus to eventually complete its cleaning task by approaching the region from a safer angle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If the intelligent mobile apparatus changes direction to avoid re-trapping, then the reliability of task completion improves, but the time required to complete the cleaning task increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetask completion success rateVSAvoidtime to complete cleaning task

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The apparatus applies partial action by making a directional adjustment only when necessary (upon detecting trapping conditions), rather than continuously changing direction. This selective application of direction change minimizes time loss while ensuring reliability by preventing re-trapping only when the risk is present.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Device complexity

If the apparatus uses simple escape mechanisms, then the device complexity remains low, but the apparatus cannot effectively distinguish between different trapping situations and may fail to escape properly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveescape mechanism complexityVSAvoidability to handle different trapping situations

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The apparatus uses feedback from its sensors to detect trapping conditions and ground medium characteristics, then adjusts its escape strategy accordingly. This feedback loop allows the relatively simple escape mechanism to adapt to different trapping situations by making real-time directional adjustments based on sensor information about the environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12481295B2Intelligent mobile device and control method therefor, and electronic device and storage medium

Publication Date: 2025.11.25 BEIJING ROCKROBO TECH CO LTD

AI summary

An intelligent mobile device and a control method therefore are described. The method includes: acquiring, when the intelligent mobile apparatus is trap, first ground medium attribute information of a trapping region, where the first ground medium attribute information includes ground medium attribute information of the trapping region; and controlling, if the first ground medium attribute information matches target ground medium attribute information, the intelligent mobile apparatus to leave the trapping region and re-enter the trapping region in a direction different from a direction in which the intelligent mobile apparatus enters the trapping region.