This technology is an autonomous cleaning robot that vacuums leaves and debris through an intake at the front of the main body. Inside the housing, multiple impellers arranged around a rotating shaft create a vacuum to move the collected material into a collection bag. The front ends of the impellers feature serrated shredding components that break down the leaves and debris as they are drawn in.
Cleaning up fallen leaves from street trees after autumn has traditionally relied on manual labor, requiring significant time and effort while placing a heavy physical and mental burden on workers. Existing leaf-cleaning vehicles equipped with vacuums and storage bins only collect the leaves without reducing their volume, leading to ongoing inefficiencies and high costs during post-processing.
This technology features a sensor unit that measures the distance between the intake and the ground. A first connecting bar hinged to the top of the intake and a second connecting bar driven by a rotating actuator on the main body adjust the intake height, maintaining a consistent gap and level suction surface even on uneven terrain. The intake and suction unit are connected via a flexible joint. A sensor detects the amount of material in the collection bag, and an air intake/exhaust controller adjusts the volume of the air bladder to change the bag's capacity. Suitable for tree-lined streets, park paths, university campuses, and apartment walkways, this robot reduces the need for manual labor during leaf season and shreds material during a single pass, allowing for higher storage capacity and fewer trips to empty the bin.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Education through Chungnam National University.
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