Intelligent solar powered pool skimming robot
Systems and methods can support an autonomous pool skimming system. The pool skimming system may have a body with two or more hulls. Two or more paddlewheels may be coupled to the body. An independent motor may drive each paddlewheel. The motors may be independently controllable to support steering. The pool skimming system may have one or more processing units, two or more distance sensors, one or more solar cells, and a power supply operable to power the processing units and the motors from energy supplied by the solar cells. One or more processing modules may configure the processing units to plan and execute a traversal path across the surface of a body of water, such as a swimming pool, to collect debris into a removable basket. A portion of the traversal path may be established according to signals from distance sensors.
1. An autonomous water skimming system, comprising:
a body;
one or more processing units;
two or more paddlewheels coupled to the body, each paddlewheel driven by an independent motor, wherein the independent motors are independently controllable by the one or more processing units to support steering;
two or more distance sensors;
one or more solar cells;
a power supply operable to power the one or more processing units and the independent motors from energy supplied by the one or more solar cells; and
one or more processing modules, wherein the one or more processing units are configured by the one or more processing modules to plan and execute a traversal path across a surface of a body of water in order to collect debris, and a portion of the traversal path is established according to signals associated with the two or more distance sensors;
wherein the signals associated with the two or more distance sensors are processed to indicate a distance from one or more obstacles within the surface of the body of water;
wherein the traversal path comprises a series of movements across the surface of the body of water.
2. The autonomous water skimming system of claim 1 , further comprising a backwash flap.
3. The autonomous water skimming system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more rechargeable battery cells.
4. The autonomous water skimming system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface.
5. The autonomous water skimming system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communications interface.
6. The autonomous water skimming system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing units are further configured by the one or more processing modules to establish a model of a circumference geometry of the body of water.
7. The autonomous water skimming system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more paddlewheels comprise a side hub geometry comprising a central void.
8. The autonomous water skimming system of claim 1 , wherein the signals associated with the two or more distance sensors are processed to establish an approach angle with respect to the one or more obstacles within the surface of the body of water.
9. The autonomous water skimming system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing units comprise a semiconductor microcontroller.
10. The autonomous water skimming system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more navigation sensors.
11. An autonomous water skimming process, comprising:
independently controlling a speed of two or more propulsion motors to support steering;
coupling two or more paddlewheels each to a respective one of the two or more propulsion motors;
skimming along a surface of a body of water;
collecting debris from the surface of the body of water;
navigating along a circumference of the body of water using two or more distance sensors, wherein signals associated with the two or more distance sensors are processed to indicate a distance from one or more obstacles within the surface of the body of water;
providing a processing unit for executing process instructions for modeling the circumference of the body of water to establish a traversal path for navigating a geometry of the body of water, wherein the traversal path comprises a series of transversals across the geometry; and
navigating the series of transversals across the geometry.
12. The autonomous water skimming process of claim 11 , further comprising preventing backflow of the collected debris.
13. The autonomous water skimming process of claim 11 , wherein collecting the debris comprises providing a debris collection basket.
14. The autonomous water skimming process of claim 11 , wherein navigating the series of transversals comprises controlling a transversal angle according to the signals from the two or more distance sensors.
15. The autonomous water skimming process of claim 11 , further comprising providing a communications interface.
16. The autonomous water skimming process of claim 11 , further comprising providing a user interface.
17. The autonomous water skimming process of claim 11 , wherein the two or more paddlewheels comprise a side hub geometry comprising a central void.
18. The autonomous water skimming process of claim 11 , further comprising providing a navigation sensor.
19. The autonomous water skimming process of claim 11 , wherein the two or more distance sensors comprise an infrared transmitter and an infrared detector.
20. The autonomous water skimming process of claim 11 , further comprising providing one or more solar cells operable to power the two or more propulsion motors.