A method for enhancing operational efficiency of a remote vehicle using a diagnostic behavior. The method comprises inputting and analyzing data received from a plurality of sensors to determine the existence of deviations from normal operation of the remote vehicle, updating parameters in a reference mobility model based on deviations from normal operation, and revising strategies to achieve an operational goal of the remote vehicle to accommodate deviations from normal operation. An embedded simulation and training system for a remote vehicle. The system comprises a software architecture installed on the operator control unit and including software routines and drivers capable of carrying out mission simulations and training.

Autonomous Behaviors for a Remote Vehicle

An autonomous floor-cleaning robot comprising a housing infrastructure including a chassis, a power subsystem; for providing the energy to power the autonomous floor-cleaning robot, a motive subsystem operative to propel the autonomous floor-cleaning robot for cleaning operations, a command and control subsystem operative to control the autonomous floor-cleaning robot to effect cleaning operations, and a self-adjusting cleaning head subsystem that includes a deck mounted in pivotal combination with the chassis, a brush assembly mounted in combination with the deck and powered by the motive subsystem to sweep up particulates during cleaning operations, a vacuum assembly disposed in combination with the deck and powered by the motive subsystem to ingest particulates during cleaning operations, and a deck adjusting subassembly mounted in combination with the motive subsystem for the brush assembly, the deck, and the chassis that is automatically operative in response to an increase in brush torque in said brush assembly to pivot the deck with respect to said chassis. The autonomous floor-cleaning robot also includes a side brush assembly mounted in combination with the chassis and powered by the motive subsystem to entrain particulates outside the periphery of the housing infrastructure and to direct such particulates towards the self-adjusting cleaning head subsystem.

Autonomous floor-cleaning robot

An autonomous cleaning apparatus includes a chassis, a drive system disposed on the chassis and operable to enable movement of the cleaning apparatus, and a controller in communication with the drive system. The controller includes a processor operable to control the drive system to steer movement of the cleaning apparatus. The autonomous cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning head system disposed on the chassis and a sensor system in communication with the controller. The sensor system includes a debris sensor for generating a debris signal, a bump sensor for generating a bump signal, and an obstacle following sensor disposed on a side of the autonomous cleaning apparatus for generating an obstacle signal. The processor executes a prioritized arbitration scheme to identify and implement one or more dominant behavioral modes based upon at least one signal received from the sensor system.

Navigational control system for a robotic device

An autonomous coverage robot includes a body, a drive system disposed on the body, and a cleaning assembly disposed on the body and configured to engage a floor surface while the robot is maneuvered across the floor surface. The cleaning assembly includes a driven cleaning roller, a cleaning bin disposed on the body for receiving debris agitated by the cleaning roller, and an air mover. The cleaning bin includes a cleaning bin body having a cleaning bin entrance disposed adjacent to the cleaning roller and a roller scraper disposed on the cleaning bin body for engaging the cleaning roller. The cleaning bin body has a holding portion in pneumatic communication with the cleaning bin entrance, and the air mover is operable to move air into the cleaning bin entrance.

Autonomous coverage robot

A washing and drying machine of the present invention includes a water tub elastically supported in a housing; a rotary drum being rotatably mounted in the water tub; a heat pump having a compressor, a heat radiator, a throttle valve, a heat absorber, a pipework, and an air guide duct for guiding air to the heat absorber and the heat radiator; an air passageway provided to the water tub for allowing the air to flow into the rotary drum; a blower for forcing the air heated by the heat radiator to flow through the air passageway into the rotary drum; and a flexible connection member. The flexible connection member connects the air passageway to the air guide duct.

Washing and drying machine

PURPOSE: To make a self-running robot closer to a wall by turning only running direction of wheels by 90° without changing of the direction of the self-running robot and making the robot run sideways along the wall or an obstacle when the self-running robot comes close to the wall and it can not carry out a U-turn. CONSTITUTION: When the self-running robot comes so close to the wall of a room or the obstacle that it can not execute the U-turn, it is made to run sideways along the wall or the obstacle by turning only directions of the wheels 1 and 4 by 90° without changing the direction of the robot. The running distance in running sideways is changed according to the distance from the robot's own position to the wall of the room or the obstacle. COPYRIGHT: (C)1988,JPO&Japio

Method for controlling running of self-running robot

PURPOSE: To stabilize water feed pressure of a terminal end and obtain energy- saving effect with a simple structure CONSTITUTION: In a control device 6, the initial driving frequency of electrically driven pumps 2, 3 is calculated from pressure which is necessary for terminal faucet and an aqueduct water pressure, and initial discharge pressure is set from the characteristic of the pumps 2, 3 Discharging pressure is detected, and driving frequency is increased/decreased by volume of fluctuating pressure from a setting value At this time, the setting value is corrected by a building coefficient which is set by the pressure loss in piping of a water feed system, a building height, and the structure of the piping (the number of water feed ports in each floor) in relation to frequency change from the initial driving frequency COPYRIGHT: (C)1996,JPO

Water feed device

PURPOSE: To prevent an unbalanced condition of materials to be washed in a drum when dehydrating and to reduce vibration and amplitude of the drum or an outer drum. CONSTITUTION: Materials to be washed 6 are gathered tight at the lower part of a drum 5 after washing and rinsing, causing an unbalanced condition as shown in Fig. 8(a). To prevent this unbalanced condition, the drum 5 is made about 1/2 revolution in the direction of an arrow A to drop gathered materials to be washed 6a such as in Fig. 8(b). Thereafter, low torque dehydration in the direction of an arrow B in Fig. 8(c) is started and slow speed dehydration is performed. Thereby, materials to be washed 6 are evenly spread in the drum 5. Then, by dehydration at a high speed, materials to be washed 6 are evenly stuck on the inner periphery of the drum 5 by centrifugal force. Thus, by dehydrating at a slow speed and a high one, materials to be washed are evenly spread in the drum 5, causing the unbalanced condition to be eliminated and vibration of the drum 5 to be reduced. COPYRIGHT: (C)1992,JPO&Japio

Drum type washer-dryer

PURPOSE: To pour a cleaner or a softener to a washing tub automatically by feeding the water to a cleaner container in the washing process, and feeding the water to a softener container in the rinsing process, so as to pour a cleaner or a softener to the washing tub together with the water. CONSTITUTION: In the washing process, the water passing through a water feeding port 33c is divided into two and put in to a powder cleaner container 34 and a liquid cleaner container 35. And the cleaner in the powder cleaner container 34 is swept away from an outlet 34d. And the cleaner in the liquid cleaner container 35 is mixed with the water and flows away from an outlet 34d through the inner tube 36b of a siphon 36 and a partition plate 33a, and put into an outer tub 48 from an outlet 31a through a water pouring port 48f. In the rinsing process, the water passing through a water feeding port 43c is divided into two by a partition plate 43a, one side water passes through an outlet 43d, and the other side water is put into a softener container 43. The softerner in the softener container 43 is mixed with the water, flows away from an outlet 43d through the inner tube 44b of a siphon 44 and the partition plate 43a, and is put into the outer tub 48 from the outlet 31a through the water pouring port 48f. COPYRIGHT: (C)1991,JPO&Japio

Obata Masao

Papers

Method for controlling running of self-running robot

Water feed device

Drum type washer-dryer

Cleaner pouring device of full-automatic washing machine

Ultrasonic washing machine