Abstract: A method of object detection for a mobile robot includes emitting a speckle pattern of light onto a scene about the robot while maneuvering the robot across a work surface, receiving reflections of the emitted speckle pattern off surfaces of a target object in the scene, determining a distance of each reflecting surface of the target object, constructing a three-dimensional depth map of the target object, and classifying the target object.

Abstract: A mobile human interface robot that includes a drive system, a controller in communication with the dive system, and an electronic display supported above the drive system and in communication with the controller. The controller includes a central processing unit, a general purpose graphics processing unit, and memory in electrical communication with the central processing unit and the general purpose graphics processing unit. Moreover, the controller has a display operating state and a driving operating state. The controller executes graphics computations on the general purpose graphics processing unit for displaying graphics on the electronic display during the display operating state; and the controller executes mobility computations on the general purpose graphics processing unit for issuing commands to the drive system during the driving operating state.

Abstract: A robot system includes a mobile robot having a controller executing a control system for controlling operation of the robot, a cloud computing service in communication with the controller of the robot, and a remote computing device in communication with the cloud computing service. The remote computing device communicates with the robot through the cloud computing service.

Abstract: A method of navigating an autonomous coverage robot between bounded areas includes positioning a navigation beacon in a gateway between adjoining first and second bounded areas. The beacon configured to transmit a gateway marking emission across the gateway. The method also includes placing the coverage robot within the first bounded area. The robot autonomously traverses the first bounded area in a cleaning mode and upon encountering the gateway marking emission in the gateway, the robot remains in the first bounded area, thereby avoiding the robot migration into the second area. Upon termination of the cleaning mode in the first area, the robot autonomously initiates a migration mode to move through the gateway, past the beacon, into the second bounded area.

Abstract: A method of navigating an autonomous coverage robot between bounded areas includes positioning a navigation beacon in a gateway between adjoining first and second bounded areas. The beacon configured to transmit a gateway marking emission across the gateway. In some example, the navigation beacon may also transmit a proximity emission laterally about the beacon, where the robot avoids cleaning the migration within the proximity emission. The method also includes placing the coverage robot within the first bounded areas. The robot autonomously traverses the first bounded area in a cleaning mode and upon encountering the gateway marking emission in the gateway, the robot remains in the first bounded area, thereby avoiding the robot migration into the second area. Upon termination of the cleaning mode in the first area, the robot autonomously initiates a migration mode to move through the gateway, past the beacon, into the second bounded area.

Abstract: A power-saving robot system includes at least one peripheral device and a mobile robot. The peripheral device includes a controller having an active mode and a hibernation mode, and a wireless communication component capable of activation in the hibernation mode. A controller of the robot has an activating routine that communicates with and temporarily activates the peripheral device, via wireless communication, from the hibernation mode. In another aspect, a robot system includes a network data bridge and a mobile robot. The network data bridge includes a broadband network interface, a wireless command interface, and a data bridge component. The data bridge component extracts serial commands received via the broadband network interface from an internet protocol, applies a command protocol thereto, and broadcasts the serial commands via the wireless interface. The mobile robot includes a wireless command communication component that receives the serial commands transmitted from the network data bridge.

Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot system for bounded areas including a navigation beacon and an autonomous coverage robot. The navigation beacon has a gateway beacon emitter arranged to transmit a gateway marking emission with the navigation beacon disposed within a gateway between the first bounded area and an adjacent second bounded area. The autonomous coverage robot includes a beacon emission sensor responsive to the beacon emission, and a drive system configured to maneuver the robot about the first bounded area in a cleaning mode in which the robot is redirected in response to detecting the gateway marking emission. The drive system is also configured to maneuver the robot through the gateway into the second bounded area in a migration mode.

Abstract: A method of scheduling a robotic device enables the device to run autonomously based on previously loaded scheduling information. The method consists of a communication device, such as a hand-held remote device, that can directly control the robotic device, or load scheduling information into the robotic device such that it will carry out a defined task at the desired time without the need for further external control. The communication device can also be configured to load a scheduling application program into an existing robotic device, such that the robotic device can receive and implement scheduling information from a user.