1. A mobile robot comprising:
a drive mechanism that both drives the robot forward in a drive direction over a support surface and turns the robot to change the drive direction;
a forward obstacle sensor responsive to objects encountered by the robot while moving in the drive direction;
a side sensor positioned to detect proximity of objects on a dominant side of the robot, transverse to the direction of travel;
a side brush effective on the dominant side of the robot, the side brush extending from the dominant side of the robot and operating to sweep debris from beyond a robot perimeter for collection by the robot; and
a drive controller controlling the drive mechanism such that when the forward sensor detects an object in the direction of travel of the robot, the drive controller turns the robot to locate the detected object on the dominant side of the robot and drives the robot to keep the detected object on the dominant side of the robot, while the side brush processes a portion of the support surface adjacent the object on the dominant side;
wherein the drive controller turns the robot in response to the forward obstacle sensor detecting a wall, so as to position the detected wall on the dominant side of the robot as the side brush sweeps debris from between the robot perimeter and the wall.
2. A mobile robot comprising:
a drive mechanism that both drives the robot forward in a drive direction over a support surface and turns the robot to change the drive direction;
a forward obstacle sensor responsive to objects encountered by the robot while moving in the drive direction;
a side sensor positioned to detect proximity of objects on a dominant side of the robot, transverse to the direction of travel;
a cleaning head effective on the dominant side of the robot; and
a drive controller controlling the drive mechanism such that when the forward sensor detects an object in the direction of travel of the robot, the drive controller turns the robot to locate the detected object on the dominant side of the robot and drives the robot to keep the detected object on the dominant side of the robot, while the cleaning head processes a portion of the support surface adjacent the object on the dominant side;
wherein the drive controller drives the robot to follow an object on the dominant side of the robot by
changing a turning radius while maintaining a continuous detection of the object by the side sensor,
monitoring the side sensor to detect an absence of the object after turning away from the object on the dominant side of the robot, and
monitoring the side sensor to detect the object after turning toward the object on the dominant side of the robot.
3. The mobile robot of claim 2, wherein the drive controller decreases the turning radius toward the dominant side of the robot so that the robot tends to enter and traverse passageways between objects.
4. A mobile robot comprising:
a drive mechanism that both drives the robot forward in a drive direction over a support surface and turns the robot to change the drive direction;
a forward obstacle sensor responsive to objects encountered by the robot while moving in the drive direction;
a side sensor positioned to detect proximity of objects on a dominant side of the robot, transverse to the direction of travel;
a cleaning head effective on the dominant side of the robot; and
a drive controller controlling the drive mechanism such that when the forward sensor detects an object in the direction of travel of the robot, the drive controller turns the robot to locate the detected object on the dominant side of the robot and drives the robot to keep the detected object on the dominant side of the robot, while the cleaning head processes a portion of the support surface adjacent the object on the dominant side;
wherein the controller is configured to
monitor the side sensor to detect an absence of the object after turning away from the object on the dominant side of the robot, by determining a transition from a reflection state to a non-reflection state of the dominant side sensor, and then to
turn the robot toward the dominant side of the robot until detecting the object, in response to the side sensor transitioning from the non-reflection state to the reflection state.
5. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the drive controller is configured to drive the robot in a spiral having a steadily increasing radius, while keeping the dominant side of the robot facing outward with respect to the spiral.
6. The mobile robot of claim 1 further comprising a bump sensor, wherein the drive controller is configured to
turn the robot away from the dominant side by a minimum turn angle in response to the bump sensor signaling detection of a bump of the robot against an obstacle while the robot is following an object on the dominant side, and to
continue turning the robot until the dominant side sensor detects an adjacent object, thereby aligning the robot with the obstacle.
7. The mobile robot of claim 1, wherein the drive controller is configured to
turn the robot away from the dominant side through a minimum turn angle in response to the robot bumping against an obstacle while the robot is following an object on the dominant side, to
stop turning the robot at a maximum turn angle, and then drive the robot forward.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Apparatus for mixing gaseous fuel and an oxidant for supply to an autothermal reformer comprising:
a mixing vessel for mixing said fuel and gaseous oxidant;
first and second inlets to said vessel for moving said fuel and oxidant therethrough,
said first and second inlets having discharge ends spaced apart from each other in the direction of flow through the vessel; and
an exit from said vessel spaced from said inlets and adjacent a partial oxidation reactor that burns a mixture of fuel and oxidant exiting the mixing vessel; the first inlet comprising a plurality of tubes each having a discharge end through which the fuel or oxidant flows and extending into the mixing vessel and toward said exit such that the discharge ends of the tubes are downstream of the discharge end of said second inlet for mixing said fuel and oxidant close to said partial oxidation reactor as to preclude premature combustion of the fuel-oxidant mixture in said vessel, wherein the second inlet comprises a plate having a plurality of apertures through which said tubes extend.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second inlet is arranged to pass the oxidant therethrough.
3. Apparatus for mixing gaseous fuel and an oxidant for supply to an autothermal reformer comprising:
a mixing vessel for mixing said fuel and gaseous oxidant;
first and second inlets to said vessel for moving said fuel and oxidant therethrough,
said first and second inlets having discharge ends spaced apart from each other in the direction of flow through the vessel; and
an exit from said vessel spaced from said inlets and adjacent a partial oxidation reactor that burns a mixture of fuel and oxidant exiting the mixing vessel; the first inlet comprising a plurality of tubes each having a discharge end through which the fuel or oxidant flows and extending into the mixing vessel and toward said exit such that the discharge ends of the tubes are downstream of the discharge end of said second inlet for mixing said fuel and oxidant close to said partial oxidation reactor as to preclude premature combustion of the fuel-oxidant mixture in said vessel, wherein the second inlet is divided into first and second chambers by a porous septum.