Cleaning Robot Obstacle Sensing with Planar Light Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing obstacle sensing methods for cleaning robots, such as those using point light sources, suffer from inefficiencies due to non-sensible zones and the need for additional servo mechanisms, leading to reduced performance in obstacle detection and navigation.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning robot equipped with an obstacle sensing module that employs a wide-angle lens to form uniform planar light, allowing for omni-directional obstacle detection without the need for multiple light emitters or servo mechanisms, using a light source, wide-angle lens, reflection mirror, optical lens, image sensor, and image processing circuit to generate digital image signals for obstacle information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a point light source is employed for obstacle sensing, then the sensing method is simple, but non-sensible zones are created and multiple light emitters are needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the light distribution parameter from point-source radiation to planar light distribution by introducing a wide-angle lens. This transforms the light field geometry, allowing a single light emitter to cover areas that previously required multiple emitters, thereby eliminating non-sensible zones while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The wide-angle lens acts as an intermediary component between the point light source and the environment. It transforms the point source into a planar light source, enabling comprehensive obstacle detection without requiring multiple emitters or complex servo mechanisms.
2Reliability
If multiple light emitters are installed to eliminate non-sensible zones, then sensing coverage improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the number of light emitters, the patent changes the light distribution parameter by introducing a wide-angle lens. This transforms a single point source into an effective planar light source, achieving comprehensive coverage without increasing device complexity.
3Reliability
If a point light source is rotatable to eliminate non-sensible zones, then sensing coverage improves, but servo mechanism and scanning time are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the servo mechanism by using a wide-angle lens to create planar light. This static optical solution replaces the dynamic rotating point source, achieving comprehensive coverage without moving parts or scanning time requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical rotation system with an optical solution. Instead of mechanically rotating the light source to cover different areas, a wide-angle lens creates planar light that naturally covers the required area, eliminating the need for servo mechanisms and reducing scanning time.
4Productivity
If scanning time is reduced for obstacle detection, then efficiency improves, but detection accuracy may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The wide-angle lens creates continuous planar light coverage without the need for scanning or sequential detection. The entire sensing area is illuminated simultaneously, allowing instantaneous detection across the full field of view, thereby maintaining high accuracy while achieving continuous sensing operation.
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
Enhances obstacle detection accuracy and efficiency by providing comprehensive sensing capabilities without dead zones, allowing the robot to navigate effectively and improve cleaning operations.
Implementation Method 1
a wide-angle lens to refract or reflect light incident from the light source to diffuse the incident light in the form of planar light
Implementation Method 2
a reflection mirror to reflect reflection light reflected by the obstacle to generate reflection light
Implementation Method 3
an optical lens spaced from the reflection mirror by a predetermined distance, to allow the reflection light to pass through the optical lens
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are an obstacle sensing module and a cleaning robot including the same. The cleaning robot includes a body, a driver to drive the body, an obstacle sensing module to sense an obstacle present around the body, and a control unit to control the driver, based on sensed results of the obstacle sensing module. The obstacle sensing module includes at least one light emitter including a light source, and a wide-angle lens to refract or reflect light from the light source so as to diffuse the incident light in the form of planar light, and a light receiver including a reflection mirror to again reflect reflection light reflected by the obstacle so as to generate reflection light, an optical lens spaced from the reflection mirror by a predetermined distance, to allow the reflection light to pass through the optical lens, and an image sensor, and an image processing circuit.