Robotic laundry devices and methods of use
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laundry processing technologies rely heavily on human intervention, leading to inefficiencies, contamination risks, and high costs due to the need for manual sorting, loading, and handling of laundry, which are not scalable for individual household use.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous robotic system that includes a conveyor and lifters with grippers and sensors to reposition deformable laundry articles for efficient processing, eliminating the need for human contact and enabling automated sorting, washing, drying, and folding without human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If human operators manually sort, load, and handle laundry, then the process can be completed with simple equipment, but the processing time and labor costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic laundry handling system is divided into separate functional modules: a conveyor system for transport, multiple lifters for vertical movement, and grippers for article handling. Each module operates independently but coordinates through a control system, allowing the complex task of laundry processing to be broken down into manageable segments that can be optimized individually.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system is designed with universal components that can handle multiple types of laundry articles. The lifters and grippers are configured to accommodate various sizes and shapes of bedding and textile products, enabling a single system to process diverse inventory without requiring specialized equipment for each product type.
2Reliability
If human operators handle laundry articles, then the equipment remains simple, but contamination risks from bodily fluids and pathogens increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automated handling where robotic lifters and grippers perform all contact with laundry articles without human intervention. The conveyor system automatically transports articles between processing stations, and the control system manages the entire workflow, eliminating the need for human operators to physically handle potentially contaminated bedding and textile products.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces human manual handling with an automated robotic mechanical system. The lifters use mechanical arms with grippers to grasp and move articles, substituting human hands and arms with controlled mechanical actuators. This substitution eliminates direct human contact with contaminated materials while maintaining precise control over the handling process.
3Loss of time
If traditional laundromat services are used, then household laundry can be outsourced, but the costs and time for manual sorting and handling increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system is designed to operate continuously, transporting laundry articles from one processing station to another without interruption. The lifters are coordinated to operate in sequence, maintaining continuous motion of articles through the system. This continuous operation eliminates idle time between processing steps and maximizes throughput, significantly reducing the total time required for laundry processing compared to batch manual handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary sorting and positioning of laundry articles using the conveyor and lifter mechanisms before final processing. Articles are pre-positioned on the conveyor in optimal orientations, and the lifters prepare articles for upcoming processing steps in advance. This preliminary action reduces processing time at each station and improves overall system efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic system includes a movable platform disposed at a bottom of a work volume, the movable platform being configured to transit outside the work volume, at least three lifters disposed about a perimeter of the work volume, two or more sensors disposed at fixed locations about the work volume, and a memory including a neural network. A controller is in operative communication with the memory, the two or more sensors, and the lifters. The controller is configured to receive output signals from the two or more sensors, determine, based processing on the received signals with the neural network, whether the deformable laundry article suspended by two lifters is repositioned, and instruct, based on a determination of the deformable laundry article being repositioned, the lifters to lower the repositioned deformable laundry article onto the movable platform.