UV-C Disinfection Robot Path Control for Uniform Surface Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile robotic systems for disinfecting spaces with UV-C radiation lack optimization in path planning and UV-C radiation distribution, leading to inconsistent disinfection doses on contact surfaces, especially in complex environments.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a mobile robotic system equipped with omnidirectional wheels, UV-C radiation sources, and advanced sensors for real-time navigation and UV-C radiation control, employing artificial vision, inertial measurement, and trajectory optimization algorithms to ensure uniform disinfection coverage based on surface criticality and geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mobile robotic apparatus uses UV-C radiation sources to disinfect spaces, then the ability to disinfect contact surfaces is improved, but the consistency of UV-C radiation dose delivery across different surfaces deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic apparatus dynamically adjusts its velocity and trajectory in real-time based on the spatial coordinates and criticality levels of contact surfaces. The system transitions from static, pre-programmed paths to dynamic adaptation, modifying movement parameters on-the-fly to ensure uniform UV-C radiation dose delivery across surfaces at varying distances and orientations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs sensors to detect the actual position, orientation, and distance relative to contact surfaces, feeding this information back to the control unit. The control unit then adjusts the UV-C radiation source intensity and robotic velocity based on this feedback, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains consistent disinfection dosage despite environmental variations.
2Productivity
If the robotic apparatus optimizes path trajectory to maximize UV-C radiation delivery, then disinfection efficiency is improved, but the complexity of path planning and control algorithms increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-acquires spatial information about contact surfaces, their coordinates, and criticality levels before beginning disinfection. This preliminary mapping allows the control unit to pre-calculate optimized trajectories and radiation parameters, reducing real-time computational complexity while maintaining high disinfection efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as robotic velocity, UV-C radiation intensity, and trajectory points based on the spatial distribution and criticality of surfaces. By dynamically adjusting these parameters rather than using fixed settings, the system achieves optimized disinfection efficiency without requiring excessively complex control algorithms.
3Productivity
If the robotic apparatus moves faster to reduce disinfection time, then productivity is improved, but the UV-C radiation dose delivered to surfaces decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the UV-C radiation source intensity as a compensating parameter when velocity changes. When the robotic apparatus increases speed to improve productivity, the control unit simultaneously increases the UV-C radiation intensity to maintain the required dose delivery, ensuring that disinfection effectiveness is preserved despite faster movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic coordination between motion parameters and radiation parameters. Rather than treating velocity and radiation intensity as independent fixed values, the system creates a dynamic relationship where changes in one parameter automatically trigger compensating adjustments in the other, maintaining optimal disinfection conditions throughout the operation.
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 system achieves optimized disinfection trajectories that maximize UV-C radiation delivery efficiency, reducing time and ensuring thorough disinfection while minimizing human exposure, by using a combination of artificial potential fields, radiation physics simulation, and genetic algorithms for path planning.
Implementation Method 1
the use of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation is very effective for inactivating viruses and disinfecting bacteria on surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling a mobile robotic apparatus for disinfecting a space includes acquiring, by a data processing unit of the mobile robotic apparatus, a map of the space to be disinfected, acquiring information on a plurality of contact surfaces to be disinfected within the space to be disinfected, each contact surface being associated with a criticality level, determining an amount of ultraviolet-C, UV-C, radiation energy to be deposited, by a UV-C radiation source, on a contact surface, the amount of UV-C radiation energy being determined as a function of the criticality level, distance and orientation of the contact surface with respect to the UV-C radiation source and of set operating features of the UV-C radiation source, determining a respective virtual potential of attraction of the UV-C radiation source towards each contact surface, generating a path trajectory, and controlling the mobile robotic apparatus along the generated path trajectory.