As robots continue to blend more into our modern society, we have seen several companies developing advanced robots with various cool and innovative features. Now, a recent patent filing reveals that the popular UK-based appliance giant Dyson is building a robot vacuum cleaner that can climb stairs while cleaning them.
Now, although Dyson has released various advanced robotic vacuum cleaners in the past, the stair-climbing robot will be the first-of-its-kind when or if it launches in the market. Although the company has not yet developed the robot entirely, it recently filed a patent for “tri-star wheels” that could enable a robot to perform “off ground” activities, which essentially means climbing areas of a house where traditional robots cannot reach.
The tri-star wheels look pretty unique and include three circular structures attached to an actuated arm. So, with these attached one of Dyson’s advanced vacuum cleaning robots could give them the ability to climb high areas or stairs in a house effortlessly. You can check out the image below to get an idea of how the robot will work in a house.
Furthermore, the tri-star wheels technology, as per the patent, could also enable robots to open a drawer or hold a cup. This is thanks to the actuated arm of the tri-star design that could also allow robots to reach inaccessible corners of a house.
Dyson says that human homes are complex environments that contain various elements and obstacles that might prevent robots to work at their full potential. However, with this patent, the company aims to develop robots that can access every nooks and corner of a house that are inaccessible by current cleaning robots like the ones from Xiaomi or Realme.
Coming to the availability of stair-climbing robots, Dyson says that the tri-star wheels design is only the initial stage of such a robot. So, it will be some time before the company releases a vacuum cleaning robot that would be able to climb stairs in the market.
