Robotic laundry sorting devices, systems, and methods of use
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current laundry processing methods, whether at home or in industrial settings, rely heavily on human intervention, leading to inefficiencies, contamination risks, and increased costs due to the need for manual sorting, loading, and handling of laundry, which also raises privacy concerns and exposes workers to potential bio-hazards.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous robotic sorting device equipped with a series of arms, sensors, and a controller that can detect and sort deformable laundry articles within an enclosed channel, eliminating the need for human interaction by automatically separating, sorting, and preparing loads for washing and drying based on characteristics like color, size, and fabric type.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human operators manually sort and handle laundry, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but contamination risk increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system performs laundry sorting and handling autonomously without human intervention. The robot navigates the laundry facility, identifies laundry items using sensors, sorts them into appropriate bins, and manages the entire workflow independently, eliminating contamination risk from human contact while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces human manual labor with an automated robotic system equipped with sensors, actuators, and intelligent control. The robot uses computer vision and tactile sensors to detect and identify laundry items, then uses mechanical arms to sort and handle them, substituting human mechanical actions with automated robotic mechanisms that eliminate contamination while improving efficiency
2Productivity
If multiple human workers are deployed for laundry handling, then task completion is ensured, but operational costs increase and time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system operates continuously without interruption, navigating between laundry sources and sorting bins without breaks. The robot maintains constant motion, continuously identifying, sorting, and transporting laundry items, eliminating the idle time and transitions associated with human workers changing tasks or taking breaks, thereby increasing productivity while reducing total processing time
3Adaptability or versatility
If human operators perform laundry sorting, then adaptability to different laundry types is maintained, but privacy concerns arise and worker safety decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system autonomously handles all laundry sorting tasks without human intervention. The robot navigates independently, uses sensors to identify and classify different laundry types, and sorts them into appropriate bins, maintaining adaptability to various laundry items while completely eliminating worker exposure to bio-hazards and contaminants
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system acts as an intermediary between dirty laundry and clean sorting bins. The robot physically handles laundry items, containing potential contaminants within the controlled environment of the laundry facility, and prevents direct contact between human workers and potentially hazardous materials, thereby protecting worker safety while maintaining sorting versatility
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for autonomously sorting dirty laundry articles into batched loads for washing are described. For example, an autonomous sorting system includes an enclosed channel including a stationary floor extending between an inlet end and an outlet end of the channel, a plurality of arms disposed in series along the enclosed channel for selectively grasping at least one of the plurality of deformable articles in sequence. The system includes an outlet orifice adjacent the outlet end through which each separated deformable article exits the enclosed channel upon release by the terminal gripper of the one of the plurality of arms, and one or more conveyors disposed adjacent the outlet end configured for receiving thereon a plurality of bins for collecting for washing together two or more articles of the plurality of deformable articles released through the outlet orifice having a common sensor-detected one or more characteristics.