Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way we live. Both at work and at home, robotics and other forms of AI are becoming an increasingly important part of daily life and routine. Robot vacuum cleaners are one of the most common forms of robotic technology used in modern homes. Almost a quarter of all vacuum cleaners sold today are robots. These seem to be very complex machines that do amazing things. But how do robotic vacuums work?
Like all technologies, vacuum cleaning robots have evolved, and at a rapid pace. The first vacuum cleaning robots, which hit the market in the 1990s, were too dumb and too expensive to be of any use to us. A lot has happened since then and with the first iRobot Roomba in 2002, robotic vacuum cleaners became a reality for the average consumer. Even these machines weren’t as nimble and efficient as today’s, but they caught on and we relied on them.
The basic function of a robot vacuum cleaner is the same as any other. It has an electric motor that creates a suction with which it picks up the dirt and deposits it in a dust container. The obvious difference to a vacuum cleaner robot is that it is autonomous, i.e. it can work independently – without human intervention. In order for a vacuum cleaner robot to work autonomously, it must have a certain intelligence – it must be able to make simple decisions. To do this, he must collect information in order to make these decisions.
How Do Robotic Vacuum Cleaners Work
A vacuum cleaner robot uses sensors to record its surroundings. Different types of sensors have been used over the years, and modern versions mostly use laser or infrared sensors. These sensors send out a beam of light and depending on how the beam comes back to them (by bouncing off objects), the robot knows more about its surroundings. Some use ultrasonic sensors (like bats) that work in the same way – just with sound waves instead of light.
There are four basic types of sensors that you’ll find on a robot vacuum cleaner
The cliff sensors are located on the underside of the machine and determine the distance between the floor and the floor of the robot vacuum cleaner. The name tells us quite why they are there. These sensors tell the robot when it reaches a steep slope, such as B. the edge of a step.
Impact sensors work mechanically (not with a beam). They are also called shock sensors because they tell the bot when it bumps into something.
Wall sensors ken a continuous direct line, like a wall, that the vacuum cleaner robot has to follow.
Optical encoders are the most sophisticated sensors in a robot vacuum cleaner, and the inexpensive models don’t always have this technology. These sensors track the stroll of the wheels. This way the robot knows how far it has traveled and how many revolutions it has built. Thanks to this information, the robot always knows where it is. This is how the vacuum cleaner robot can navigate.
