UV Disinfection Robot 3D Mapping and Exposure Plotting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current disinfection methods using ultraviolet light require human intervention, which can introduce contaminants and result in incomplete disinfection, as it is difficult to determine if all surfaces have been effectively disinfected by mobile robots.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robot equipped with sensors and a UV light source that maps the area in 3D, emits UV light to disinfect surfaces and objects, and generates an exposure plot to track the disinfection process, providing a disinfection report on the effectiveness of the disinfection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human intervention is used for UV disinfection, then operation simplicity is maintained, but contamination risk increases and disinfection completeness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile robot performs disinfection autonomously without human intervention. The robot navigates the area, activates UV light sources, and tracks its own position and exposure data to verify disinfection completion, eliminating the need for human operators while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors disinfection status by tracking the robot's position, UV light activation timing, and exposure data. This feedback mechanism allows the robot to verify whether disinfection objectives have been met and adjust its operation accordingly, ensuring complete disinfection without human oversight.
2Measurement precision
If manual disinfection monitoring is used, then operational simplicity is maintained, but measurement precision of disinfection effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot autonomously monitors and measures its own disinfection effectiveness by tracking position data, UV light exposure timing, and calculated exposure levels. This self-measurement capability provides precise quantification of disinfection effectiveness without requiring external monitoring equipment or complex additional systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual monitoring with automated electronic sensing and computational algorithms. The robot's processor calculates exposure levels based on position and timing data, providing precise measurement of disinfection effectiveness through computational rather than mechanical means.
3Reliability
If autonomous robot disinfection is implemented, then human error is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile robot integrates multiple functions into a single device: navigation, UV light activation, position tracking, exposure calculation, and disinfection execution. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems while maintaining high reliability through autonomous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines sensing, computation, actuation, and navigation into an integrated mobile robot platform. By merging these functions, the design achieves autonomous disinfection capability without proportionally increasing overall system complexity, as the components work together through unified control.
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
The mobile robot reduces human error and risk by autonomously disinfecting areas without human intervention, providing a detailed report on the disinfection status, ensuring thorough disinfection and reducing the need for protective equipment and time.
Implementation Method 1
A light source of the mobile robot emits ultraviolet (UV) light to disinfect at least a portion of the area
Data Source
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AI summary
Implementations of the disclosed subject matter provide a method of moving, using a drive system, a mobile robot within an area. Detecting, using at least one sensor of the mobile robot, at least one of air within the area, a surface within the area, and/or an object within the area. The area may be mapped in three dimensions based on the detecting of at least one of the air, the surface, and the object as the mobile robot moves within the area. Ultraviolet (UV) light may be emitted from a light source of the mobile robot to disinfect at least a portion of the area. A representation of the emission of the UV light may be plotted onto the mapped area to generate an exposure plot, where the representation is of the UV light emitted on at least one of the air, the surface, and the object in the area.