Robot Vacuum Cleaner Projects

Human Interaction

• The most valuable project to undertake when studying or constructing robot vacuum cleaners is to make the design capable of operating without any human interaction. Without this ability, the cleaner will not save time for the owner, which is ostensibly the main aim of the project. The fun factor should be played down, especially when negotiating a budget.

Design

• Robot vacuum cleaners are typically constructed on a circular base; although this limits corner access, this shape minimizes potential damage to furniture in the room. A brush or brushes are attached to the underside of the base, connected in such a way that suction air or motors will cause them to rotate when the unit is operating. Weighty attachments, such as a motor to actuate the vacuuming aspect of the robot, the batteries that run it and the propulsive motors, are typically located in the center of the base. There must be at least three wheels for balance, but not all wheels need to be driven.

Finessing the Project

• Infrared sensors and directional controllers are available that can prevent the vacuum cleaner from contacting furniture, but they are expensive. Using an onboard device that senses at which point on the machine’s circumference an obstacle was encountered -- and then reverses the direction of travel -- is the easiest way to ensure an entire room is traversed, albeit in a random manner. An accelerometer, similar to the equipment inside trailer-braking devices fitted to tow vehicles, interprets the direction and intensity of a collision. Twinned with a relatively simple circuit board, the accelerometer will direct the robot away from a glancing impact at an angle; if the impact was head-on the accelerometer will put the robot in “reverse.”

Intellectual Property

• Most robot vacuum cleaner projects are undertaken for personal amusement and educational value. If there is an intention to mass-produce the result of the project, the existing patents, copyrights and trademarks of companies that already produce such devices commercially -- such as iRobot (irobot.com), Karcher (Karcher-USA.com) and Electrolux (electrolux.com) -- must be respected.