Abstract: Some aspects provide a method for instructing operation of a robotic floor-cleaning device based on the position of the robotic floor-cleaning device within a two-dimensional map of the workspace. A two-dimensional map of a workspace is generated using inputs from sensors positioned on a robotic floor-cleaning device to represent the multi-dimensional workspace of the robotic floor-cleaning device. The two-dimensional map is provided to a user on a user interface. A user may adjust the boundaries of the two-dimensional map through the user interface and select settings for map areas to control device operation in various areas of the workspace.

Abstract: Included is a method for charging a mobile robotic device, including: transmitting, with a transmitter disposed on the mobile robotic device, signals; receiving, with a receiver disposed on a charging station of the mobile robotic device, the signals; and detecting, with the charging station, the mobile robotic device approaching for charging when the mobile robotic device is within a range of the receiver of the charging station and the receiver of the charging station receives the signals transmitted from the transmitter of the mobile robotic device.

Abstract: Included is a method for estimating distance, including: emitting, with at least one light emitter disposed on a robot, a light structure onto objects; capturing, with at least one image sensor disposed on the robot, images of the light structure emitted onto the objects; identifying, with a processor, the light structure within the images; determining, with the processor, positions of elements of the light structure within the images; determining, with the processor, a characteristic relating to the objects based on positions of elements of the light structure within the images; determining, with the processor, an object class of at least one object within the images based on a comparison between features of the object extracted from the images and an object dictionary comprising various object classes and their associated features; and instructing, with the processor, the robot to execute at least one action based on the object class identified.

Abstract: Provided is a robot, including: a chassis; a plurality of sensors; a processor; and a tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: receiving, with the processor, an image of an environment captured by a communication device separate from the robot; extracting, with the processor, objects and features captured in the image; determining, with the processor, an area within a map of the environment corresponding with an area captured in the image by comparing the objects and features captured in the image with objects and features within the map; and actuating, with the processor, the robot to navigate to the area captured in the image to perform work.

Abstract: A system for preventing hijacking of communication of a first device with a second device upon replacement of the second device with a logical replica, comprising: a first device, comprising: a time-restricted accessible memory, wherein data on the memory written at a time cannot be overwritten with data from a future timestamp; a second device, comprising: a time-restricted accessible memory, wherein data on the memory written at a time cannot be overwritten with data from a future timestamp; a processor configured to execute instructions causing the processor to effectuate operations, comprising: establishing and maintaining a temporal consonance between the first and second devices by logging an identity of each other at each interval of message exchange in the memory of the first and second devices; wherein message exchange is restricted based on a trust level between devices, wherein the trust level is based on a certain history threshold of communication.

Abstract: Provided is a robotic device, including: a chassis; a set of wheels; a plurality of sensors; a processor; and a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor of the robotic device effectuates operations including: receiving, with the processor, at least one command from a software application executed on an input device; and actuating, with the processor, the robotic device to execute the at least one command; wherein the software application is configured to: display a map of an environment of the robotic device; and receive at least one input designating a modification to the map, an addition of a subarea within the map, an addition of a label for a subarea within the map, a vacuum suction power, activation or deactivation of a mop or a vacuum, and a schedule of operation of the robotic device.

Abstract: Provided is a first wheeled device, including a chassis; wheels; a plurality of sensors; at least one camera; a processor; a medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor effectuates operations including capturing first readings indicative of displacement; capturing second readings indicative of movement of the wheels; capturing third readings comprising images of an environment wherein an image of an unanticipated obstacle is transmitted to an application; identifying a location of the first wheel device in respect to the environment; generating a digital representation of a floor plan of the environment; determining areas of the environment covered; identifying rooms in the digital representation; transmitting status information of at least one task to the application, wherein the status indicating completion of the at least one task initiates a second wheeled device to perform a complementary task to the at least one task.

Abstract: Provided is a method for estimating distance to a surface, including: emitting, with a first laser light emitter and a second laser light emitter, a first light beam and a second light beam onto the surface; capturing, with a first image sensor, a first image of the first light beam and the second light beam emitted onto the surface; extracting, with at least one image processor, the first light beam and the second light beam captured in the first image; and estimating, with the at least one image processor, a first distance to the surface on which the first light beam and second light beam are emitted based on at least positions of the first light beam and the second light beam in the first image.

Abstract: A method for autonomously emptying refuse by a robot, comprising: capturing, with at least one sensor positioned on the robot, sensor data of an environment of the robot as the robot navigates within the environment; generating, with a processor of the robot, a map of the environment based on at least the captured sensor data; receiving, with the processor of the robot, a schedule for emptying refuse stored in a container on the robot at a refuse collection location from an application associated with the robot, the application executed on a computing device, wherein the schedule for emptying refuse comprises at least a day and a time; determining, with the processor of the robot, a path of the robot from the refuse collection location; and actuating, with the processor of the robot, the robot to drive along the determined path according to the schedule for emptying refuse.

Abstract: Provided is a method, including: creating, with a magnetic field, continuous amounts of resistance in a smart gym equipment, wherein an electrical current flows through wires in the smart gym equipment to create the magnetic field; adjusting, with one or more processors, the electrical current flow to increase or decrease strength of the magnetic field, wherein: the one or more processors determine a value for an electrical current based on at least one of sensed data, and a user's selection received from an application of a communication device or a user interface of the smart gym equipment.

Abstract: A method for autonomously servicing a first cleaning component of a battery-operated mobile device, including: inferring, with a processor of the mobile device, a value of at least one environmental characteristic based on sensor data captured by a sensor disposed on the mobile device; actuating, with a controller of the mobile device, a first actuator interacting with the first cleaning component to at least one of: turn on, turn off, reverse direction, and increase or decrease in speed such that the first cleaning component engages or disengages based on the value of at least one environmental characteristic or at least one user input received by an application of a smartphone paired with the mobile device; and dispensing, by a maintenance station, water from a clean water container of the maintenance station for washing the first cleaning component when the mobile device is docked at the maintenance station.

Abstract: A method executed by a robot, including: starting, from a starting position, a work session in which the robot maps a workspace, wherein a front of the robot faces towards a forward direction in a frame of reference of the robot; the robot traversing, from the starting position, to a first position, a first distance from the starting position in a backward direction in the frame of reference of the robot; after traversing the first distance, the robot rotating; after rotating, the robot traversing a coverage path of at least one area of the workspace, the coverage path including a boustrophedon movement pattern; and the robot cleaning the at least one area of the workspace with a cleaning tool of the robot while traversing the coverage path.

Abstract: Provided is a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: capturing visual readings to objects within an environment; capturing readings of wheel rotation; capturing readings of a driving surface; capturing distances to obstacles; determining displacement of the robotic device in two dimensions based on sensor readings of the driving surface; estimating, with the processor, a corrected position of the robotic device to replace a last known position of the robotic device; determining a most feasible element in an ensemble based on the visual readings; and determining a most feasible position of the robotic device as the corrected position based on the most feasible element in the ensemble and the visual readings.

Abstract: Provided is a smart gym equipment, including a frame; a plurality of sensors; at least one actuator; a plurality of weights; a processor; and, a tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: obtaining, with the processor, sensor data captured by at least some of the plurality of sensors; receiving, with the processor, input data; determining, with the processor, at least one equipment setting of the smart gym equipment based on at least some of the input data and at least one relationship relating the at least some of the input data to the at least one equipment setting; and instructing, with the processor, the at least one actuator to automatically implement the at least one equipment setting.

Abstract: Provided is a robot, including: a plurality of sensors; a processor; a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: capturing, with an image sensor, images of a workspace as the robot moves within the workspace; identifying, with the processor, at least one characteristic of at least one object captured in the images of the workspace; determining, with the processor, an object type of the at least one object based on characteristics of different types of objects stored in an object dictionary, wherein possible object types comprise a type of clothing, a cord, a type of pet bodily waste, and a shoe; and instructing, with the processor, the robot to execute at least one action based on the object type of the at least one object.

Abstract: A method for a first robotic device to collaborate with a second robotic device, including: actuating, with a processor of the first robotic device, the first robotic device to execute a first part of a cleaning task; transmitting, with the processor of the first robotic device, an indication that the first part of the cleaning task is completed; and actuating, with the processor of the second robotic device, the second robotic device to execute a second part of the cleaning task upon receiving the indication that the first part of the cleaning task is completed; wherein the first robotic device is a surface cleaning robotic device with vacuuming functionality and the second robotic device is a surface cleaning robotic device with mopping functionality.

Abstract: Some aspects include a method for operating an autonomous robot, including: capturing, with a first sensor disposed on the robot, data of an environment of the robot; generating, with the processor, a map of the environment based on at least the data of the environment; localizing, with the processor, the robot within the environment; capturing, with a second sensor disposed on the robot, data of a floor surface; determining, with the processor, a floor type of areas of the environment based on the data of the floor surface; and determining, with the processor, settings of the robot based on at least the floor type of the floor surface, wherein the settings comprise at least an elevation of each of at least one component of the robot from the floor surface.

Abstract: A method for an autonomous robot to empty refuse. A sensor positioned on the robot captures sensor data of an environment of the robot as the robot navigates within the environment and a processor of the robot generates a map of the environment based on at least the sensor data. The processor receives a schedule for emptying refuse stored in a container of the robot at a refuse collection location from an application of a communication device. The processor determines a path of the robot from a storage location of the robot to the refuse collection location and actuates the robot to autonomously drive along the path according to the schedule.

Abstract: Provided is a system for robotic collaboration. A first robotic device executes a first action and a second robotic device executes a second action upon the first robotic device completing the first action. An application of a communication device is paired with the first robotic device and the second robotic device. The application is configured to receive at least one input designating, for example, a hitting speed of a tennis ball, a hitting direction of a tennis ball, a unique tag of a subarea in a map of an environment, a task schedule of the first robotic or second robotic device, a driving speed, a selection of a particular user profile, an instruction to drive to a user-identified location, an instruction to turn in a left or right direction, an instruction to drive forwards or backwards, an instruction to stop moving, etc.