Akilah Hollway ha scritto 3 mesi fa
Robot Vacuums With Lidar Make Cleaning Easier
A robot vacuum can analyze its surroundings to avoid obstacles and navigate efficiently. This technology is akin to that used in self-driving and aerospace cars.
Simple robots have bump sensors that stop them from scratching your paint or scratching your chair legs, but more sophisticated navigation systems like Lidar and SLAM are more adept at avoiding unexpected. But this type of technology drives up price.
Lidar
The big technological advancement in robot vacuum with lidar vacuums over the past decade has been lidar, or light detection and ranging. Lidar is sensor that emits laser beams and measures the time it takes for them to return to the sensor, and converts the data into precise distance measurements that can be used to map. Lidar is an instrument that assists robots navigate and avoid obstacles, especially in low light environments.
Even though most modern robotic vacuums are equipped with some form of obstacle detection, many still struggle with socks, charging cords and other household items that easily get caught on the floor. The issue is that a poor obstacle detection system can really hamper the cleaning efficiency of a robot vac and cause a lot of wasted time in which you must stop the robovac manually and untangle the item it got stuck on.
The best robot vacuums with lidar offer powerful object detection capabilities that ensure that your floors are clean and free of tangles and debris. Additionally, they are less likely to get stuck on furniture legs and other things that are common obstacles in narrow hallways and spaces that are narrow.
Some robots with lidar feature digital keep-out zone, which allows you to create a virtual line in the map, which prevents your robovacs from cleaning certain areas of your home. This is a great way to stop your vac from accidentally vacuuming up the expensive area rug, or the cat litter box.
Another benefit of a model equipped with lidar is the capability to recognize stairs. Although climbing the stairs is a challenging task, many models with lidar are able to climb them with no difficulty.
Other sensors that you may want to look for in a robot equipped with lidar include infrared sensors, which are used to detect walls and other furniture and assist in its navigation through the environment; 3D ToF sensors, which make use of reflective infrared light to find objects and calculate their location and height; and cliff sensors that alert the vac when it gets too close to the edge of a staircase to prevent it from falling off.
Gyroscopes
Gyroscopes are more common on budget robots and work as fast-spinning wheels which allow the robot to know where it’s located in relation to obstacles. They’re more common on budget robots and typically work as quick-spinning wheels that inform the vac where it is in relation to obstacles. Some models even utilize the gyroscope to create a basic home map, which can be useful for keeping track of your surroundings and cleaning more thoroughly.
SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) is another well-known navigation system for robot vacuums. It’s available in different price points. This method is used to create a 3D image of your space to allow the robot to create a precise map and navigate through it in a logical way. This is a huge improvement over the old bounce-and-bang machines that would simply plow through your space, bouncing of everything they encountered until they had completed their task.
In addition to creating maps, the majority of robots who use SLAM can display them in an app so you can know the location of your cleaner at any given time. You can also create no-go zones based upon maps. This is especially useful for homes that have a lot of furniture. It is difficult to locate everything without the aid of a map.
While SLAM is effective in most situations, it’s less adept in detecting small obstacles, such as wires or cables that may be caught in the vacuum’s rotating brush. This is a major shortcoming because robots are prone to sucking up these objects, which can cause them harm.
Fortunately, most robots that include SLAM include obstacle detection technology, which includes drop detectors. These sensors stop the vacuum from falling down stairs or other large variations in flooring levels which could cause serious damage. Most robots come with cliff sensors as well which are beneficial in the event you have a pet that is trying to jump over it in order to reach its water or food bowl. These sensors are placed on the bumpers of the vacuum and send out a signal if the vacuum is near something that could harm it.
Wall Sensors
A robot vacuum’s ability to navigate around your home depends on a combination of sensors. Models that are budget-friendly may employ bump sensors and rotating lights to detect obstacles, while models with higher-end features have self-navigating systems, maps that save maps (some retain or send this data to the company) and digital keep-out zones to prevent robots accidentally knocking furniture legs or pinging cables.
Some robots use SLAM or simultaneous localization mapping. In essence, they map the room before they begin cleaning, and then refer to this map throughout the duration of the run. This makes them a lot more efficient as they know exactly where they’ve been and avoid repeating the same parts of the room. Maps can be viewed and shared in the robot’s application. This is useful when you want to set up specific areas for cleaning or no-go zones.
The other major navigation sensor you should look for is a Gyroscope. Gyroscopes use spinning wheels or a rapidly-rotating beam of light to determine the distance between your robot vacuum lidar and any obstacles in your home, using this information to create a virtual map the robot can refer to as it moves around your home. Robots that don’t have this technology could be stuck on cords and rugs, and will zig-zag across the floor instead of following the edges.
The best robots have various obstacles avoidance technologies, which could include 3D structured light, 3D ToF (time of flight), monocular or binocular vision-based LiDAR. In general, the more sophisticated technology you have the more precise your robot’s capabilities will be and the more efficient its navigation will be. This translates to more thorough, low-maintenance cleaning and the option of setting up no-go zones to protect your electronics and other valuables from damage caused by accidents. The most recent generation of gyroscopes, which are more precise and perform well in dim lighting, can even detect a change in the ambient lighting in your home to help the robot perceive more clearly.
Optical Sensors
A robot vacuum equipped with lidar can create a 3D map of your space to better navigate and avoid bumping into obstacles. This is achieved by directing an laser beam that bounces off surfaces before returning to the sensor. The sensor is able to measure the time it takes for the laser beam to return. This is converted into distance measurements and lets the robot draw an image of the layout of your room.
As opposed to cameras, which are used in some robots to map rooms, lidar is more efficient and more precise. Depending on the model, top 10 a robot with lidar might come with the “no-go” zone feature that allows you to create zones that are not accessible to your robot. In our testing we found that the Neato Botvac D8 or iRobot Braava 450 were the top 10 two models that use this technology. They also have an app that allows you to easily create “no-go zones”.
The iRobot Duo+ is another great option that uses LiDAR and other sensors to build an precise map of your home, which it can use to navigate. The app allows you to manage the mapping process, so you can fine-tune the boundaries of your home as needed.
Other technologies that are used to improve robot navigation include 3D structured lights that measure distances by looking for reflective properties of objects, and 3D TOF (time-of-flight), which scans an area to measure the speed at which light reflections occur and their direction. Some robots use binocular or monocular vision in order to avoid obstacles.
All of these sensors work to enable robots to stay clear of obstacles in a variety of ways and this is the main reason what makes these machines extremely convenient to carry around. However, it’s important to think about your particular requirements prior to purchasing a robot vacuum. Consider how much time it will take you to prepare your floors for cleaning and the amount of obstacles you’ll encounter in your home and whether you want your robot to do more. We suggest you establish a budget that includes an item that has all the features you desire.