Method for controlling a mobile robotic apparatus for disinfecting a space and mobile robotic apparatus for disinfecting a space implementing such method

A method for controlling a mobile robotic apparatus for disinfecting a space, the method comprising steps of:

• a) acquiring, by a data processing unit of the mobile robotic apparatus, a map of the space to be disinfected;
• b) acquiring, by the data processing unit of the mobile robotic apparatus, information on a plurality of contact surfaces to be disinfected within the space to be disinfected, each contact surface to be disinfected being associated with a criticality level with respect to which a related level of disinfection is to be ensured;
• c) determining, by the data processing unit of the mobile robotic apparatus, an amount of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation energy to be deposited, by at least one UV-C radiation source mounted on the mobile robotic apparatus, on a respective contact surface to be disinfected of said plurality of contact surfaces to be disinfected, said amount of UV-C radiation energy being determined as a function of the criticality level of the contact surface to be disinfected, of distance and orientation of the contact surface to be disinfected with respect to the at least one UV-C radiation source, and of set operating features of the at least one UV-C radiation source;
• d) determining, for each time instant of a plurality of time instants, by the data processing unit of the mobile robotic apparatus, a respective virtual potential of attraction of the at least one UV-C radiation source towards each contact surface to be disinfected of said plurality of contact surfaces to be disinfected, by modulating over time the virtual potential of attraction of the at least one UV-C radiation source towards each contact surface to be disinfected of said plurality of contact surfaces to be disinfected as a function of the determined amount of UV-C radiation energy for each contact surface to be disinfected and radiated at a previous time instant, said virtual potential of attraction being a value of energy level determinable by a mathematical model representative of a law of attraction or repulsion towards each contact surface to be disinfected of said plurality of contact surfaces to be disinfected;
• e) generating, by the data processing unit of the mobile robotic apparatus, a path trajectory as a function of each determined virtual potential of attraction of the at least one UV-C radiation source towards each contact surface to be disinfected, the path trajectory being generated as directional speed or acceleration to be provided to the mobile robotic apparatus on the basis of each determined virtual potential of attraction of the at least one UV-C radiation source towards each contact surface to be disinfected, also comprising the energy stored by each contact surface to be disinfected in the previous transit of the mobile robotic apparatus;
• and
• f) controlling, by the data processing unit of the mobile robotic apparatus, the mobile robotic apparatus along the generated path trajectory.