r/oomwoo

Video - I've added the side brush, placed the (optional) smartphone, pointed the camera at the floor (instead of forward).

The side brush is Dreame off-the-shelf 3-arm angled (cheap on Amazon/eBay/AliExpress), tangle-resistant thanks to its arms being angled, not straight.

The (optional) smartphone - the idea is to reuse an old Android USB-C phone instead of buying Raspberry Pi CM4/CM5. The phone will run the compute, WiFi - plus act as touchscreen. Pi will be supported as main option.

Point camera at the floor (instead of forward) - why? a) to check each floor spot if it's still dirty or not. If dirty, mop it until clean (I'll add a mop in 2nd vacuum version). b) for privacy (can't see up) and c) still perform obstacle recognition, but just above floor level.

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Highlights - designed side brush, camera now watches floor; placed smartphone. Roborock S5 Max supported as real placeholder robot.

Decision: side brush - angled, tangle-resistant brush driven directly by a geared motor (no printed gearbox) Decision: camera - one RGB camera pitched down to see the floor and obstacles, replacing stereo NIR Decision: smartphone rough placement - top center

3D design https://github.com/makerspet/oomwoo-cad

• side brush: JGA25-310 geared motor turns a Dreame angled brush through a custom coupler
• main brush: 608 bearing + M3 threaded rod with custom coupler and latch tip
• Dreame hex-mount side brush, brush box undercover, dust bin inlet fix

Electronics I/O board https://github.com/makerspet/oomwoo-pcb

• camera moves to the STM32 so an old smartphone can be the compute
• 2x VL53L7 time-of-flight sensors, ~126° ahead, for obstacle detection

Build-in-public Blog Posts

• 3D design: brushes from parts you can buy https://makerspet.com/blog/oomwoo-3d-design-how-its-made/#brushes-from-parts-you-can-buy
• PCBs: why one RGB camera instead of stereo NIR https://makerspet.com/blog/oomwoo-pcbs-what-we-are-building-how-and-why/#one-rgb-camera-instead-of-stereo-nir

Community contributions

• Thank-you to yugeeklab
• A special shoutout to gkfabs for bringing up a Roborock S5 Max with ROS 2 and creating PRs for https://github.com/remakeai/vacuum_ros2_bridge/ and https://github.com/kaiaai/VacuumTiger

Video - a screen recording of the design as it is today, work-in-progress. I'm designing components to be 3D printable (to have a flat bottom). Major components include 1) the "base" - enclosure bottom with mounts for wheels, brushes, fan, HEPA filter and so on; 2) enclosure top (with sides); 3) bumper; 4) bumper skirt (holds bumper in place). Vacuum's wheels and battery are Roborock. HEPA filter and suction fan are Dreame. Cliff and bumper sensors are iRobot.

Video - a Roborock Qrevo 5AE's side brush torn down - for learning purposes. Reconstructed, animated in CAD. It has many gears because (1) the motor is direct drive (doesn't have a gearbox), (2) the brush has an elongated arm that swings out to clean under cabinet toe kicks. I'm redoing this for DIY and 3D printing by switching a geared motor with timing belt and pulleys for simplicity.

Highlights - vacuum docks automatically, tracks already-cleaned areas (videos)

Cleaning software https://github.com/makerspet/oomwoo-install

• edge cleaning: new cleaning manager sweeps every obstacle edge once, then stops
• automatic docking in sim: beacon to point, LiDAR to aim
• contour follower steers back 6x harder - no more clipped corners

Electronics I/O board https://github.com/makerspet/oomwoo-pcb

• fail-safe power: every motor/actuator rail needs both an MCU enable and a hardware watchdog OK - all off during reset and flashing
• PCB cost reduction

1. replaced the watchdog chip with a simple RC charge-pump watchdog
2. NS4168 speaker amp

3D design https://github.com/makerspet/oomwoo-one-cad

• suction fan mount, MSD-G and 22N704V160 fans, HEPA filter, refined dust bin

Firmware https://github.com/makerspet/oomwoo-firmware

• merged identity handshake - the CPU can connect any time and still find the MCU
• merged 57-case command test suite

Build-in-public Blog Posts

• new: OOMWOO PCBs - what we are building, how and why https://makerspet.com/blog/oomwoo-pcbs-what-we-are-building-how-and-why/
• cleaning algs: added edge cleaning and docking https://makerspet.com/blog/how-oomwoo-cleaning-algorithms-work/
• Gazebo sim: added the kitchen & dining world https://makerspet.com/blog/simulate-oomwoo-one-robot-vacuum-in-gazebo-with-ros-2/
• oomwoo.com: new progress section https://oomwoo.com/#progress

Community contributions

• Thank-you to smailzhu, xbattlax
• Special thanks to alb_digger for converting 3D scans to 3D CAD STEP models