Vacuum Cleaner Motion Control for Obstacle-Aware User Following
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum cleaners face challenges in accurately following a user's movement direction while avoiding obstacles, leading to potential collisions and user safety hazards due to complex structures and inadequate obstacle detection.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum cleaner equipped with a moving unit, suction unit, first and second detecting units, and a control part that determines a target location and calculates a moving route to avoid obstacles, allowing the cleaner body to move in sync with the user's direction while preventing collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the vacuum cleaner detects mechanical motion and moves the driving part, then the cleaner body can move, but it cannot exactly detect the user's actual movement direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical motion detection systems with a camera-based visual recognition system. The camera captures images of the user, and image processing algorithms determine the user's movement direction and position, substituting mechanical sensors with optical detection to achieve more accurate tracking without proportional increases in mechanical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy (image) of the user through the camera, then analyzes this copy to determine movement intent. By working with the captured image data rather than direct mechanical coupling, the system can accurately track user movement while maintaining a simpler mechanical structure for the vacuum cleaner itself.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the vacuum cleaner has a structure enabling rotatable and translational motion detection, then it can detect user movement, but the structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system serves multiple functions: it detects the user's position, determines movement direction, identifies obstacles, and tracks cleaning progress. This single multi-functional component replaces what would otherwise require separate specialized sensors for each detection task, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera acts as an intermediary that converts visual information about user movement into control signals for the vacuum cleaner. Rather than direct mechanical coupling between user movement and cleaner response, the camera mediates this interaction by capturing, processing, and translating visual data into actionable movement commands.
3Productivity
If the wheel rotates during cleaning operation, then the cleaner can move, but the user may be injured or clothes caught in the gap
Solution Approach 1:
The camera continuously monitors the user's position and provides real-time feedback to the control system. When the user is detected to be in a hazardous position near rotating wheels, the system automatically adjusts wheel rotation or stops movement, creating a feedback loop that prioritizes safety while maintaining cleaning productivity when conditions are safe.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary safety checks by detecting user position before initiating wheel rotation or movement. By anticipating potential hazards and preventing dangerous movements before they occur, the system eliminates safety risks proactively rather than reacting to accidents after they happen.
Data Source
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AI summary
A vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cleaner body having a moving unit; a suction unit configured to suction dust and air; a detecting unit configured to detect movement of the suction unit; and a control part configured to determine whether movement of the cleaner body is required, based on information detected by the suction unit, and to control the moving unit when the movement of the cleaner body is required, wherein the control part determines a target location to which the cleaner body will be moved, determines a moving route to the target location based on a detected obstacle, controls the moving unit so that the cleaner body is moved along the determined moving route, stops a motor when it is determined that the cleaner body is not in contact with a floor surface, and thus prevents a user's injury.