Robot Gas Sensing and Speed Control for Indoor Animal Waste Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning robots struggle to accurately identify contaminant sources such as animal waste or spilled food without overburdening the processor and face sensing errors due to the diversity in forms of contaminants, especially when gas concentrations are thin or turbulent.
Innovation Solution
A robot equipped with a gas collector, gas sensors, and a processor that senses different types of gases to adjust speed and navigate to areas of higher gas concentration, using cameras to confirm the contaminant source, thereby reducing computational burden and improving accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a thermal imaging camera is used to identify contaminant sources, then the robot can detect contaminant sources, but the processor becomes overloaded and sensing errors occur due to inability to handle diversity in contaminant forms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal imaging camera system with a gas sensor-based detection system. Instead of using complex thermal imaging processing that overloads the processor, the invention uses gas sensors to detect volatile substances emitted by contaminants, substituting a simpler sensing mechanism that directly measures gas concentration without requiring complex image processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces gas as an intermediary medium for detection. Rather than directly imaging the contaminant source, the system detects volatile substances that emanate from contaminants. This intermediary approach allows the robot to identify contaminant locations through gas concentration gradients without needing to directly observe or process complex visual data.
2Productivity
If the robot moves at high speed, then productivity is improved, but gas sensing accuracy deteriorates due to turbulence and inability to accurately identify gas generating areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic speed adjustment based on gas detection status. The robot operates at high speed during normal cleaning tasks but automatically reduces speed when gas sensors detect potential contaminants. This dynamic velocity modulation allows the system to maintain high overall productivity while ensuring accurate gas sensing and contaminant identification when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses gas sensor feedback to control robot velocity. When the gas sensor detects elevated volatile substance concentrations, the processor receives feedback and adjusts the motor driver to reduce speed, enabling more accurate gas plume tracking and contaminant source localization. This closed-loop control ensures measurement precision is maintained during critical detection phases.
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
The robot effectively identifies contaminant sources by minimizing turbulence and computational load, allowing precise navigation and operation, including avoiding the source and providing feedback to users.
Implementation Method 1
a gas sensor configured to sense a gas collected by the gas collector
Implementation Method 2
a camera; a processor configured to control the camera to capture the identified gas generating area
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes a gas collector; a gas sensor configured to sense a gas collected by the gas collector; a camera; a driver; and a processor configured to: based on the gas sensed by the gas sensor identified as a first type gas, control the driver to decrease a moving speed of the robot, identify a gas generating area based on data sensed by the gas sensor while the robot is moving at the decreased speed, and control the camera to capture the identified gas generating area.