Sweeper Obstacle Removal and Repositioning for Complete Area Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sweepers often bypass obstacles like light furniture, leading to uncleaned areas and a poor user experience, as they are not designed to handle or move such items during cleaning.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for sweepers to identify and remove temporary furniture obstacles by determining their type and size, using a map of the cleaning area to mark and clean uncleaned spaces, and then restoring the obstacles to their original positions after cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sweeper bypasses obstacles during cleaning, then collision avoidance is achieved, but cleaning coverage is reduced and uncleaned areas remain
Solution Approach 1:
The sweeper dynamically adjusts its cleaning strategy based on obstacle characteristics. Instead of always bypassing obstacles, the system evaluates each obstacle's removability and switches between bypass mode and removal mode, optimizing both collision avoidance and cleaning coverage adaptively
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the sweeper by introducing obstacle removal capability. By modifying physical parameters (pushing force, movement behavior) and operational parameters (cleaning path planning, obstacle interaction strategies), the sweeper can transition from passive avoidance to active removal, thereby improving cleaning coverage without compromising safety
2Manufacturing precision
If the sweeper removes obstacles to clean uncleaned areas, then cleaning quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sweeper is designed with multi-functionality, combining both traditional cleaning functions and obstacle removal functions in a single device. The brush roller serves dual purposes: cleaning floors and pushing removable obstacles. This universal design improves cleaning quality without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The sweeper performs obstacle removal autonomously using its own cleaning mechanisms. The brush roller and driving system that normally serve cleaning functions are also utilized for obstacle removal, eliminating the need for separate dedicated removal mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity
3Adaptability or versatility
If the sweeper removes and repositions obstacles, then cleaning flexibility is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The obstacle removal process is merged with the cleaning process. While the sweeper pushes obstacles to removable positions, it simultaneously cleans the areas underneath and around them. This combining of operations eliminates separate removal and cleaning steps, improving flexibility without proportionally increasing time consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The sweeper maintains continuous cleaning action throughout the obstacle handling process. Instead of stopping to remove obstacles separately, the system continuously moves forward, pushing obstacles and cleaning simultaneously, ensuring uninterrupted useful action that minimizes time loss
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~2
Figure 3~4a
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a cleaning method and a cleaning device. The method includes: acquiring (101, 201, 301) a map of a target area, the map identifying an obstacle in the target area; determining (102, 202, 302) an uncleaned area that cannot be cleaned due to occupancy of the obstacle in the target area according to the map; determining (103) whether the obstacle occupying the uncleaned area can be removed by the sweeper; and the sweeper removing (104) the obstacle and cleaning the uncleaned area, when the obstacle occupying the uncleaned area can be removed by the sweeper. In the technical solution, when an obstacle is encountered during cleaning, the sweeper may mark the area as an uncleaned area, and when it is determined that the obstacle occupying the area may be removed, the obstacle is removed and the area is cleaned.