Robot Mop and Sweep Control for Carpet Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robot cleaners struggle to detect floor materials and avoid carpets, leading to increased cleaning time and potential breakdowns due to their inability to accurately assess the surface and adjust their movement accordingly.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robot equipped with optical sensors and optical flow sensors to detect light reflectance and movement, combined with load information from the sweeping and spin mop parts, allowing the robot to determine floor materials and adjust its cleaning path to avoid carpets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot cleaner uses torque from wet mop to move, then it can perform cleaning functions, but it cannot accurately detect floor material and escape from carpets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the optical sensor serve multiple functions: it detects both cliff presence and floor material characteristics. By configuring the sensor to measure light reflectance and process this data to identify carpet versus hard floor, the system achieves multi-functionality without adding separate detection devices, thereby improving reliability while controlling complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters of the optical sensor by adjusting light source intensity and detection sensitivity based on measured reflectance values. When the sensor detects low reflectance characteristic of carpets, the system modifies motor torque parameters and movement control parameters to prevent getting stuck, thus improving reliability through dynamic parameter adjustment.
2Productivity
If the robot cleaner climbs carpets during cleaning, then it can clean all floor areas, but it gets stuck and causes breakdown with longer cleaning time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary detection of carpet areas using optical sensors before the robot cleaner attempts to clean them. The system identifies low reflectance areas characteristic of carpets and preemptively adjusts movement parameters or avoids these areas, preventing the robot from getting stuck before it happens, thus maintaining both productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback control where the optical sensor continuously monitors floor reflectance and feeds this information to the control unit. When carpet material is detected through reflectance analysis, the system receives feedback and automatically adjusts motor torque and speed parameters to prevent stagnation, ensuring continuous productive operation without breakdowns.
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 carpeted areas and avoids them, reducing the risk of getting stuck and enhancing cleaning efficiency by using a combination of sensors to assess the floor conditions and adjust its movement dynamically.
Implementation Method 1
a first floor sensor disposed forward of the sweep module, and configured to sense reflectance of light reflected from a floor
Implementation Method 2
The second floor sensor may include an optical flow sensor configured to detect an amount of movement of the mobile robot based on an image of the floor
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a mobile robot, including: a mop module having a pair of spin mops, which rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise, and a mop motor configured to provide a driving force to the pair of spin mops; a sweep module disposed forward of and spaced apart from the mop module, and having a collecting part, which forms a collecting space to store foreign materials, a sweeping part configured to introduce foreign materials into the collecting space while rotating, and a sweeping motor configured to provide a driving force to the sweeping part; a body, on which the mop module and the sweep module are disposed; and a first floor sensor disposed forward of the sweep module, and configured to sense reflectance of light reflected from a floor.