System, Device, and Method For Stain Detection and Cleaning Using Robotic Cleaners

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for stain detection and cleaning using robotic cleaners are disclosed. An example robotic cleaning system may include a robotic cleaner. The robotic cleaner may include a housing, at least one wet cleaning element including at least one cleaning surface on an underside of the housing, at least one sensor, and at least one processor. The processor(s) may be programmed or configured to detect at least one stain on a surface to be cleaned based on sensor data from the at least one sensor and perform at least one cleaning operation based on the at least one stain.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A robotic cleaning system, comprising:
 a robotic cleaner comprising:
 a housing; 
 at least one wet cleaning element comprising at least one cleaning surface on an underside of the housing; 
 at least one sensor; and 
   at least one processor programmed or configured to:
 detect at least one stain on a surface to be cleaned based on sensor data from the at least one sensor; and 
 perform at least one cleaning operation based on the at least one stain. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a docking station comprising:
 a base; and 
 a support extending laterally from the base, the support configured to receive at least a portion of the robotic cleaner on top of the support. 
   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of:
 a camera;   a color camera;   a red, green, and blue (RGB) camera;   a three-dimensional camera;   a red, green, blue, and depth (RGB-D) camera;   a light emitter;   a light detector;   an infrared (IR) camera;   a spectrometer;   an IR spectrometer;   an image capture device;   a LiDAR device; or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of:
 an image;   a video;   a color image;   a red, green, and blue (RGB) image;   a three-dimensional image;   a red, green, blue, and depth (RGB-D) image;   an infrared (IR) image;   spectroscopy data;   IR spectroscopy data;   reflectance data;   specular reflectance data;   diffuse reflectance data;   color data;   texture data; or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the at least one stain comprises detecting the at least one stain on the surface to be cleaned based on sensor data from the at least one sensor and at least one computer vision operation. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein performing the at least one cleaning operation comprises performing at least one wet cleaning operation with the at least one cleaning surface of the at least one wet cleaning element. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed or configured to:
 select a cleaning operation from a plurality of predetermined cleaning operations based on the at least one stain and the surface to be cleaned,   wherein performing the at least one cleaning operation comprises performing the cleaning operation selected from the plurality of predetermined cleaning operations.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein selecting the cleaning operation comprises selecting the cleaning operation from the plurality of predetermined cleaning operations based on at least one of:
 a stain type of the at least one stain;   a surface type of the surface to be cleaned; or   any combination thereof.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the robotic cleaner is performing a first cleaning operation before detecting the at least one stain,
 wherein the at least one cleaning operation comprises a second cleaning operation, and   wherein performing the at least one cleaning operation based on the at least one stain comprises interrupting the first cleaning operation and initiating the second cleaning operation.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed or configured to:
 communicate a notification based on detecting the at least one stain.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein communicating the notification comprises communicating the notification to a remote device of a user associated with the robotic cleaner. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the remote device displays a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the at least one stain. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the GUI comprises a map of the surface to be cleaned, the map comprising at least one stain icon based on the at least one stain. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the remote device is programmed or configured to:
 receive an input from the user indicating confirmation that the at least one stain is present; and   communicate a communication based on the input.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed or configured to:
 receive the communication from the remote device,   wherein performing the at least one cleaning operation comprises performing the at least one cleaning operation based on the communication.   
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 detecting, with at least one processor, at least one stain on a surface to be cleaned based on sensor data from at least one sensor of a robotic cleaner; and   controlling, with at least one processor, the robotic cleaner to perform at least one cleaning operation based on the at least one stain.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein detecting the at least one stain comprises detecting the at least one stain on the surface to be cleaned based on sensor data from the at least one sensor and at least one computer vision operation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein performing the at least one cleaning operation comprises performing at least one wet cleaning operation with at least one cleaning surface of at least one wet cleaning element of the robotic cleaner. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 selecting, with at least one processor, a cleaning operation from a plurality of predetermined cleaning operations based on the at least one stain and the surface to be cleaned,   wherein performing the at least one cleaning operation comprises performing the cleaning operation selected from the plurality of predetermined cleaning operations, and   wherein selecting the cleaning operation comprises selecting the cleaning operation from the plurality of predetermined cleaning operations based on at least one of:
 a stain type of the at least one stain; 
 a surface type of the surface to be cleaned; or 
 any combination thereof. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the robotic cleaner is performing a first cleaning operation before detecting the at least one stain,
 wherein the at least one cleaning operation comprises a second cleaning operation, and   wherein performing the at least one cleaning operation based on the at least one stain comprises interrupting the first cleaning operation and initiating the second cleaning operation.