Vacuum-Suction Robotic Cleaner for Automated Vertical Surface Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual cleaning of high-rise building surfaces, such as windows and walls, is inefficient due to risks of falling and imprecision, and lacks availability of human labor for automated solutions.
Innovation Solution
A device and system for cleaning vertical surfaces, comprising a frame with rotatable arms and vacuum suction cups, a vacuum pump, and a controller to manage arm rotations and vacuum operations, along with a cleaning tool featuring propellers for horizontal and vertical movement, enabling automated cleaning on vertical surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual cleaning is used, then human labor is available, but falling risk and imprecision occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device is self-propelled and self-controlled, with autonomous navigation capabilities that allow it to clean vertical surfaces without human intervention. The device uses its own sensors, processors, and actuators to move along the surface, maintain position, and perform cleaning functions, eliminating the need for operators to physically climb or position themselves on hazardous surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated robotic system equipped with sensors, processors, and automated control mechanisms. The device uses computer vision, LIDAR, and other sensing technologies to navigate and clean surfaces, substituting human mechanical labor with automated electro-mechanical systems that eliminate falling risks while maintaining precision.
2Reliability
If automated devices are introduced, then labor risks are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning device is designed as a multi-functional platform that can perform various cleaning tasks on different vertical surfaces. It integrates navigation, positioning, surface adaptation, and cleaning functions in a single system, allowing it to handle windows, walls, and other vertical surfaces with unified hardware and software architecture, thereby managing complexity through functional integration rather than proliferation of specialized devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The device employs a hierarchical system architecture where complex functions are nested within modular subsystems. The overall control system contains nested modules for navigation, cleaning, power management, and communication, each with its own internal structure. This nested organization allows complex functionality to be managed through layered abstraction, where higher-level control routines coordinate lower-level actuator commands without requiring direct management of every individual component.
3Force
If vacuum suction cups are used, then attachment to vertical surfaces is achieved, but control precision is required
Solution Approach 1:
The device incorporates sensors that continuously monitor the position, orientation, and attachment status of the vacuum cups on the vertical surface. This feedback information is processed by control algorithms that adjust the vacuum pressure and cup positioning in real-time to maintain precise attachment and desired position, enabling accurate control despite variations in surface geometry or environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum cup system is designed with dynamic adjustment capabilities, allowing real-time modification of vacuum pressure, cup orientation, and attachment points based on operational requirements. The system can dynamically adapt to different surface conditions, transition between attached and detached states, and adjust positioning during movement, providing both strong attachment force and precise position control through continuous adaptability.
4Speed
If propellers are added for movement, then mobility on vertical surfaces is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller system operates using periodic, intermittent bursts rather than continuous operation. The device uses sequences of propeller activations to achieve movement, pausing between bursts to conserve energy and maintain position through vacuum attachment. This periodic operation allows the device to accumulate momentum during active phases and coast during inactive phases, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining effective movement speed when propulsion is required.
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 allows for safe, precise, and efficient automated cleaning of vertical surfaces, reducing labor risks and improving cleaning efficiency by enabling controlled movement and attachment on high-rise structures.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the first vacuum suction cup and the second vacuum suction cup; a first valve to control generation of vacuum in and release of vacuum from the first vacuum suction cup; a second valve to control generation of vacuum in and release of vacuum from the second vacuum suction cup
Implementation Method 2
one or more propellers disposed on the body, wherein at least one of the one or more propellers to generate thrust at least in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the central longitudinal body axis to push the tool against the substantially vertical surface
Data Source
AI summary
Devices for moving on substantially vertical surfaces, tools for cleaning substantially vertical surfaces and systems for cleaning substantially vertical surfaces are disclosed.