System and method for autonomous mopping of a floor surface
First Claim
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1. A mobile robot configured to clean a surface, the mobile robot comprising:
- a bump sensor configured to detect at least walls;
a cleaning assembly having a width; and
a motion controller system that causes the mobile robot to perform, a repeated number of times, driving operations comprising;
driving the mobile robot forward along a first straight path, by oscillating the mobile robot in forward and backward directions by repeatedly;
driving the mobile robot forward a first distance along the first straight path;
driving the mobile robot backward a second distance along the first straight path, the second distance less than the first distance;
at least partly in response to detecting, by the bump sensor, a wall;
driving the mobile robot in a 180 degree rotation while driving the mobile robot to a side of the first straight path by a distance approximately equal to the width of the cleaning assembly;
driving the mobile robot forward along a second straight path parallel to the first straight path, by oscillating the mobile robot in forward and backward directions by repeatedly;
driving the mobile robot forward the first distance along the second straight path;
driving the mobile robot backward the second distance along the second straight path, the second distance less than the first distance.
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Abstract
A mobile robot configured to travel across a residential floor or other surface while cleaning the surface with a cleaning pad and cleaning solvent is disclosed. The robot includes a controller for managing the movement of the robot as well as the treatment of the surface with a cleaning solvent. The movement of the robot can be characterized by a class of trajectories that achieve effective cleaning. The trajectories include sequences of steps that are repeated, the sequences including forward and backward motion and optional left and right motion along arcuate paths.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A mobile robot configured to clean a surface, the mobile robot comprising:
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a bump sensor configured to detect at least walls; a cleaning assembly having a width; and a motion controller system that causes the mobile robot to perform, a repeated number of times, driving operations comprising; driving the mobile robot forward along a first straight path, by oscillating the mobile robot in forward and backward directions by repeatedly; driving the mobile robot forward a first distance along the first straight path; driving the mobile robot backward a second distance along the first straight path, the second distance less than the first distance; at least partly in response to detecting, by the bump sensor, a wall; driving the mobile robot in a 180 degree rotation while driving the mobile robot to a side of the first straight path by a distance approximately equal to the width of the cleaning assembly; driving the mobile robot forward along a second straight path parallel to the first straight path, by oscillating the mobile robot in forward and backward directions by repeatedly; driving the mobile robot forward the first distance along the second straight path; driving the mobile robot backward the second distance along the second straight path, the second distance less than the first distance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of cleaning a space with a mobile robot having a cleaning assembly, the method comprising:
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driving, by a motion controller system, the mobile robot forward along a first straight path, by oscillating the mobile robot in forward and backward directions by repeatedly; driving the mobile robot forward a first distance along the first straight path; driving the mobile robot backward a second distance along the first straight path, the second distance less than the first distance; at least partly in response to detecting, by a bump sensor, a wall; driving, by the motion controller system, the mobile robot in a 180 degree rotation and driving the mobile robot to a side of the first straight path by a distance approximately equal to a width of the cleaning assembly; driving the mobile robot forward along a second straight path parallel to the first straight path, by oscillating the mobile robot in forward and backward directions by repeatedly; driving the mobile robot forward the first distance along the second straight path; driving the mobile robot backward the second distance along the second straight path, the second distance less than the first distance. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification