Wall following robot

• US 9,877,630 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation
• Inventors: Wolfe, Brian, Lu, Ping-Hong
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wiltey, Nicholas K
• Application Number:
  US14/946,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20160299503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/28 Floor-scrubbing machines, motor-driven A47L11/29 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4061 Steering means; Means for avoiding obstacles; Details related to the place where the driver is accommodated
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0219 ensuring the processing of the whole working surface
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0259 using magnetic or electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 2201/0203 Cleaning or polishing vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

An example robot includes a body that is movable relative to a surface, a bumper mounted on the body to enable movement of the bumper relative to the body, a sensor to produce a signal in response to the movement of the bumper relative to the body caused by contact between the bumper and the surface, and a controller to control movement of the body to cause the body to track the surface based on a value. The bumper is movable between an uncompressed position relative to the body and a compressed position relative to the body. The signal varies linearly with the movement of the bumper relative to the body. The value is based on the signal and indicates that the bumper in a partially compressed position has a compression range between the uncompressed position and the compressed position.

Claims

1. A mobile cleaning robot comprising:

a body that is movable relative to a wall surface;

a reservoir configured to hold a fluid;

a spraying mechanism configured to dispense the fluid from the robot;

a bumper mounted to the body, the bumper being movable relative to the body between a fully uncompressed position and a fully compressed position;

a cleaning pad removably attached to a bottom of the body, the cleaning pad extending beyond a width of the bumper; and

a controller to execute instructions to perform operations comprising;

advancing the robot along a first portion of the wall surface while causing the bumper to be positioned within a predefined range between the fully uncompressed position and the fully compressed position to maintain an angle between the body and the first portion of the wall surface and to maintain contact between the cleaning pad and the first portion of the wall surface, and,

in response to the bumper being positioned between the predefined range and the fully compressed position when the bumper contacts a second portion of the wall surface, controlling the robot to

retreat from the second portion of the wall surface until the bumper is positioned between the predefined range and the fully uncompressed position,

turn away from the first portion of the wall surface,

engage the second portion of the wall surface such that the bumper is positioned within the predefined range, and then

advance along the second portion of the wall surface while causing the bumper to be positioned within the predefined range to maintain an angle between the body and the second portion of the wall surface and to maintain contact between the cleaning pad and the second portion of the wall surface.

2. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein:

advancing the robot along the first portion of the wall surface comprises advancing the robot so that at least one of a right side and a left side of the body is non-parallel to the wall surface.

3. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein advancing the robot along the first portion of the wall surface comprises adjusting rotational and translational speeds of the robot to maintain the bumper within the predefined range.

4. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein:

the robot further comprises a sensor to produce a signal in response to movement of the bumper relative to the body caused by contact between the bumper and the wall surface, the signal varying linearly with the movement of the bumper relative to the body; and

advancing the robot along the first portion of the wall surface comprises advancing the robot along the first portion of the wall surface based at least in part on a value indicative of an amount of compression of the bumper, the value being based on the signal and indicating that the bumper is positioned within the predefined range.

5. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises:

a post mounted to the bumper;

a magnet mounted to the post; and

a Hall effect sensor mounted in the body.

6. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor comprising a first capacitive plate in a fixed location relative to the bumper and a second capacitive plate in a fixed location relative to the body, the first capacitive plate being movable relative to the second capacitive plate when the bumper moves relative to the body.

7. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises an inductive sensor.

8. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the sensor is a first sensor and the signal is a first signal, and wherein the robot further comprises:

a second sensor to produce a second signal in response to movement of the bumper relative to the body, the second signal varying linearly with the movement of the bumper;

wherein the operations further comprise calculating the value based on a first value that is based on the first signal and a second value that is based on the second signal.

9. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 8, wherein the body comprises a left side, a right side, a front, and a back;

wherein the first sensor is adjacent to the right side and the second sensor is adjacent to the left side; and

wherein the bumper is located along the front of the robot and extends partially along at least a portion of the left side and at least a portion of the right side.

10. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the bumper being positioned outside of the predefined range is indicative of the bumper being compressed further than an amount of compression associated with the predefined range.

11. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise controlling the robot to turn toward the wall surface in response to the value indicating that the bumper is positioned below the predefined range.

12. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the body comprises wheels;

wherein the robot further comprises detectors associated with the wheels, the detectors for detecting speed of the wheels; and

wherein controlling the robot comprises controlling the robot based, at least in part, on the speed of the wheels being less than a predetermined speed and the value indicating that the bumper is positioned outside of the predefined range.

13. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 4, wherein the operations further comprise dynamically calibrating the value to a neutral position of the bumper relative to the body.

14. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 13, wherein

dynamically calibrating the value to the neutral position of the bumper comprises determining the neutral position of the bumper relative to the body while the robot moves around a floor surface absent contact with the wall surface.

15. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a left side, a right side, a front, and a back, the bumper being located along the front of the body and extending at least along at least a portion of the left side and at least a portion of the right side;

and

wherein the robot further comprises;

a first sensor adjacent to the right side to produce a first signal in response to movement of the bumper relative to the body;

a second sensor adjacent to the left side to produce a second signal in response to the movement of the bumper; and

a third sensor to produce a third signal in response to the movement of the bumper, the third signal varying linearly with the movement of the bumper;

wherein the third sensor is between the left side and the right side, and the third sensor is adjacent to the front.

16. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting movement of the bumper relative to the body along a first axis perpendicular to the front of the body based on the first and the second signals, and

detecting movement of the bumper relative to the body along a second axis parallel to the front of the body based on the third signal.

17. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 16, wherein the first and second sensors are positioned to be responsive to the movement of the bumper relative to the body along the first axis, and the third sensor is positioned to be responsive to the movement of the bumper relative to the body along the second axis.

18. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1, wherein:

advancing the robot along the first portion of the wall surface comprises traversing a perimeter region adjacent the wall surface in a room, and

the operations further comprise controlling the robot to traverse an open area within the perimeter region of the room.

19. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

after traversing the perimeter region and after controlling the robot to traverse at least a first portion of the open area, determining that a second portion of the open area of the room is untraversed after, and

controlling the robot to traverse the second portion of the open area after determining the second portion of the open area is untraversed.

20. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 1, further comprising a sensor to provide a value indicative of an amount of compression of the bumper,

wherein causing the bumper to be positioned within the predefined range comprises causing the bumper to be positioned within the predefined range based on the value indicative of the amount of compression of the bumper,

wherein controlling the robot comprises controlling the robot in response to the value indicative of the amount of compression of the bumper being indicative of contact between the bumper and an obstacle.

21. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 20, wherein the sensor is configured such that the value provided when the bumper is positioned within the predefined range varies with respect to the value provided when the bumper is in the fully compressed position and the value provided when the bumper is in the fully uncompressed position.

22. A mobile cleaning robot comprising:

a body movable relative to a wall surface;

a bumper movable relative to the body between a fully uncompressed position and a fully compressed position;

a cleaning pad removably attached to a bottom of the body and

a controller to execute instructions to perform operations comprising;

in response to the bumper being positioned between a predefined range of compression and the fully compressed position when the bumper contacts a wall surface, controlling the robot to

retreat from the wall surface until the bumper is positioned between the predefined range and the fully uncompressed position,

turn away from the wall surface,

engage the wall surface such that the bumper is positioned within the predefined range, and then

advance along the wall surface while causing the bumper to be positioned within the predefined range to maintain an angle between the robot and the wall surface and to maintain contact between the cleaning pad and the wall surface.

23. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 22, wherein:

controlling the robot to advance along the wall surface comprises controlling the robot so that at least one of a right side and a left side of the body is non-parallel to the wall surface.

24. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 22, wherein:

the robot further comprises a sensor to produce a signal in response to movement of the bumper relative to the body caused by contact between the bumper and the wall surface, the signal varying linearly with the movement of the bumper; and

advancing the robot along the wall surface comprises advancing the robot along the wall surface based at least in part on a value indicative of an amount of compression of the bumper, the value being based on the signal and indicating that the bumper is positioned within the predefined range.

25. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 24, wherein the bumper being positioned outside of the predefined range is indicative of the bumper being compressed further than an amount of compression associated with the predefined range.

26. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise controlling the robot to turn toward the wall surface in response to the value indicating that the bumper is positioned below the predefined range.

27. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 22, further comprising a sensor to provide a value indicative of an amount of compression of the bumper,

wherein causing the bumper to be positioned within the predefined range comprises causing the bumper to be positioned within the predefined range based on the value indicative of the amount of compression of the bumper,

wherein controlling the robot comprises controlling the robot in response to the value indicative of the amount of compression of the bumper being indicative of contact between the bumper and an obstacle.

28. The mobile cleaning robot of claim 27, wherein the sensor is configured such that the value provided when the bumper is positioned within the predefined range varies with respect to the value provided when the bumper is in the fully compressed position and the value provided when the bumper is in the fully uncompressed position.