Robotic Refuse Bag Replacement With Autonomous Disposal and Reload
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous robotic devices often require human intervention for tasks like refuse bag replacement, as they cannot automate the entire process from start to finish, leading to inefficiencies and increased user burden.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous robotic refuse bag replacement system that uses sensors to detect fill levels, navigates to a refuse collection site, discards the filled bag, and optionally obtains a new bag from internal or external storage, or requests assistance from a nearby robotic refuse bag replacement robot, enabling full automation of the refuse bag replacement task.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If autonomous robotic devices are used for tasks like vacuuming or object extrusion, then automation of partial tasks is improved, but human intervention is still required for complete task automation
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic device autonomously monitors its own refuse bag fill level using sensors, navigates to collection sites or storage locations, and performs bag replacement without human intervention. The system self-manages the complete refuse bag replacement cycle including detection, navigation, discarding full bags, and acquiring new bags.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-positions spare refuse bags in internal storage compartments before they are needed. When the current bag is full, the robot already has replacement bags ready, eliminating waiting time and ensuring continuous operation without human intervention.
2Extent of automation
If the robotic device navigates autonomously to refuse collection sites, then task automation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic device utilizes its existing navigation system, originally designed for cleaning tasks, to perform refuse bag replacement navigation. The same sensors, processors, and movement capabilities used for vacuuming are repurposed for navigation to collection sites and storage locations, avoiding the need for separate specialized navigation hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs communication modules to interact with external systems such as refuse bag collection robots or centralized control systems. These intermediaries handle complex navigation and coordination tasks, allowing the robotic device to offload some computational and decision-making complexity to external helpers.
3Reliability
If the robotic device includes internal storage for spare bags, then automation reliability is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
Spare refuse bags are stored in compact, space-efficient configurations within the robotic device's body. The storage system is nested within the existing chassis structure, utilizing available internal volume without requiring external attachments or bulky additions to the device.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the robotic device requests assistance from other robotic devices, then task completion capability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses standardized communication protocols and interfaces to interact with external systems such as refuse bag collection robots or centralized facility management systems. These intermediaries handle the complexity of inter-device coordination, allowing the robotic device to request and receive assistance without implementing complex peer-to-peer communication systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Included is a refuse bag replacement method including: detecting, by one or more sensors of the robotic refuse container, a refuse bag fill level; instructing, by a processor of the robotic refuse container, the robotic refuse container to navigate to a refuse collection site upon detecting a predetermined refuse bag fill level; and instructing, by the processor of the robotic refuse container, the robotic refuse container to discard a refuse bag housed within the robotic refuse container at the refuse collection site.