Rich Crandall ha scritto 3 mesi fa
robot vacuums with lidar (site) Make Cleaning Easier
A robot vacuum can map its environment in order to avoid obstacles and move efficiently. This technology is similar to the technology used in aerospace and self-driving automobiles.
Simple robots are fitted with bump sensors that prevent them from scratching your chair legs or scratching your paint. However, more sophisticated navigation systems, like Lidar and SLAM, are better at avoiding the unplanned. But this kind of technology drives up price.
Lidar
The most significant technological advancement in robot vacuums over the last decade has been lidar, or light detection and range. Lidar is a sensor which emits laser beams and tracks the time it takes for them to return. The data can then be used to create maps that are precise. Lidar makes it easier for robots to avoid and navigate around objects particularly in dim lighting.
Although many modern robotic vacuums feature some form of obstacle-detection, they still struggle to untangle cords, socks, and other household items that can easily get tangled on the floor. The issue is that a flawed obstacle detection system can affect the cleaning efficiency of a robot vacuum and result in a lot of wasted time when you need to stop the robovac manually and untangle the item it was stuck on.
The top robot vacuums that use lidar have powerful object detection capabilities that ensure your floors are free of knots and other debris. Also, these vacs are less likely to be stuck on furniture legs or other things that are common obstacles in tight spaces and narrow hallways.
Certain robots with lidar have a digital keep-out zones, which allows you to create a virtual boundary in the map, which prevents your robots from cleaning specific areas of your your home. This will prevent your vacuum from accidentally sweeping the cat’s litter box, or a costly area rug.
Another benefit of a robot equipped with lidar is its ability to recognize stairs. While the process of getting a robot up stairs is still a challenge — save for some prototypes that are in pre-productionMany models with lidar sensors can make it up and down the steps with no problems.
Other sensors to be looking for include infrared sensors that detect furniture, walls and other objects to help the robot navigate; 3D ToF sensor which uses reflected infrared to detect and calculate the location of objects and cliff sensors that warn the vacuum when it is close to the edge.
Gyroscopes
In contrast to lidar, which employs lasers to scan your space and map it out, gyroscopes rely on the rotation sensors to keep the robot from crashing into things. They are more commonly found in budget robots and work as a fast-spinning wheels that let the vacuum know where it is in relation to obstacles. Certain models can also use the gyroscope to create a basic home map, which can be useful for keeping track of your surroundings and for cleaning up more thoroughly.
SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) is a different popular navigation system for robot vacuums. It is available at different prices. This method creates a 3D map of your space, allowing the robot to navigate in a way that is logical. This is a major improvement over the previous bounce-and bang robots that would simply plow through your space, bouncing of whatever they encountered until they had completed their task.
The majority of robots that utilize SLAM can display maps in an application which means you’ll be able to see the location of your cleaners. You can also set no-go zones and other settings based upon the maps. This is especially useful for homes that have a lot of furniture. It is difficult to locate everything without a map.
SLAM is a good choice for the majority of situations, however, it’s not so effective at detecting small objects, like wires or cables that could be sucked into the rotating brush of the vacuum. This is a major flaw because robots are prone to sucking up these objects, which can cause them to suffer damage.
Luckily, the majority of robots that use SLAM are equipped with obstacle detection and drop detectors technology. These sensors help the vac avoid falling down steps and other large differences in floor level that can cause serious damage. Most robots come with cliff sensors as well they are helpful in the event you have a pet that would like to leap over it to get to its water or food bowl. These sensors are situated on the bumpers of the vacuum and emit a signal when the vacuum is near something that could harm it.
Wall Sensors
The ability of a robot vacuum navigate around your house depends on a set of sensors. The cheapest models can use bump sensors and a rotating light to detect obstacles, while the top models include self-navigating systems, maps that save maps (some retain or transmit this information to a company) and digital keep-out zones that prevent robots accidentally knocking furniture legs or pinging cables.
Some robots employ what’s known as SLAM which stands for simultaneous mapping and localization. They will map the room before they begin cleaning, and refer to this map throughout the entire process. This makes them a lot more efficient, as they know exactly where they’ve been and can avoid repeating the same parts of the room. You can also access and share these maps through the robot’s app, which is which is a great feature if prefer to set up no-go zones or clean by areas.
You may also want to think about using a gyroscope for a key navigation sensor. Gyroscopes rely on spinning wheels or a rapidly-rotating beam of light to calculate the distance between your robot and obstacles that may be in your home. They use this data to create a virtual map the robot can refer to as it moves around your home. Without this technology, robots could become entangled with things like cords and rugs and tend to zig-zag along the floor, rather than following the edges of rooms.
The most advanced robots are equipped with a variety of obstacle avoidance technologies, such as 3D structured lights, 3D Time of Flight (ToF), bi-cular or monocular vision, and LiDAR. In general, the more sophisticated technology you have, robot vacuums with lidar the more precise your robot’s capabilities will be and the more efficient its navigation will be. This means that your robot can clean more thoroughly and require less effort and you can also set up zones where it is not permitted to go to safeguard electronics and other valuable items. The most recent generation of gyroscopes has become more accurate, and they perform well in dim light. They are able to detect changes in the ambient light to help the robot see better.
Sensors Optic
A robot vacuum equipped with lidar can create an 3D map of your surroundings to better navigate and avoid bumping into obstacles. It accomplishes this by releasing a laser beam that bounces off surfaces before returning to the sensor. The sensor monitors the time taken for the laser beam to return. This translates into distance measurements and allows the robot build an image of the arrangement of your room.
In comparison to cameras, which are used in some robots to map rooms, lidar is more efficient and more accurate. Depending on the model, robot vacuums with lidar a robotics device with lidar might include the “no-go” zone feature that lets you define areas that are restricted to your robot. In our tests, we found the best models that utilize this technology to be the Neato Botvac D8 and iRobot Braava 450, both of which have simple-to-set up “no-go” zones within the app.
iRobot Duo+, another great option, uses sensors and LiDAR to build an accurate map of your house that it can use to navigate. The app also lets you control the mapping process, so you can modify the boundaries of your home if necessary.
Other technologies used to improve the robot’s navigation include 3D structured light that determines the distance of objects by the properties of their reflections and 3D ToF (time of flight) that examines a space to determine the speed and direction of light reflections. Some robots use monocular or binocular vision in order to avoid objects.
All of these sensors work together to help the robots to avoid obstacles in various ways. This is the reason these machines are so convenient. It’s important to consider your needs before purchasing a robot vacuum cleaner with lidar vacuum. Consider how much time it will take you to prepare your floors for cleaning as well as the amount of obstacles that you have in your home, and whether or not you want your robot to be able to do more. We suggest that you establish a budget that includes an item that has all the features you need.