Abstract: Aspects include a method for operating a robot, including: capturing, with a sensor disposed on the robot, sensor data of objects within an environment of the robot as the robot moves within the environment; identifying, with a processor, at least a first object among a plurality of objects within the environment based on the sensor data; generating, with the processor, a virtual boundary adjacent to a location of the at least the first object; and actuating the robot to avoid crossing locations within the environment corresponding with the virtual boundary.

Abstract: A method of detecting security incidents and generating alerts receives an input from an mmWave sensor device, such input associated with potential security incidents, such input indicating a region of interest where an object of interest is present; processes the received input using an artificial intelligence (AI) engine and generates predicted labels describing the object of interest and the potential security incidents; activates in response to a content of a generated predicted label, a video camera, processes the output from the video camera using the AI engine to generate predicted labels describing the object of interest and the potential security incidents; and provides alerts to at least one of a plurality of output devices, where a value of a predicted label indicates a detection of a particular object of interest or a particular security incident.

Abstract: Some aspects include a method for operating a robot in a workspace, including: capturing, with an image sensor, image data of the workspace including objects within the workspace as the robot moves within the workspace; identifying, with a processor of the robot, at least one characteristic in the image data, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises one of: an edge, a shape, and a color; determining, with the processor, an object type of an object; and instructing, with the processor, the robot to execute at least one action based on the at least one characteristic, wherein the at least one action comprises one of: driving along a modified path and driving around the object.

Abstract: A method for operating a robot, including: capturing images of a workspace; capturing data indicative of movement of the robot; capturing LIDAR data as the robot moves within the workspace; generating a map of the workspace based on the LIDAR data; actuating the robot to drive; discriminating between an object on a floor surface along a path of the robot and the floor surface based on the captured images; actuating the robot to drive until determining all areas of the workspace are discovered and included in the map; and executing a cleaning function.

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 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: A method for remotely estimating distance, including: projecting, with a laser light emitter of a distance estimation device, a light onto surfaces opposite the laser light emitter, thereby illuminating the surfaces; capturing, with each of a first image sensor and a second image sensor of the distance estimation device, images of the illuminated surfaces simultaneously at discrete time intervals, each captured image including the projected light; determining, with a processor, a first distance between a position of the projected light in a first image captured with the first image sensor and a position of the projected light in a second image captured with the second image sensor; and determining, with the processor, a second distance between the distance estimation device and the surfaces on which the light is projected at a first time step.

Abstract: A method for covering a work environment by a robot, including: obtaining sensor data indicative of operational hazards; generating a map based on data obtained from sensors of the robot; determining an object type of an operational hazard based on extracted features and a database of various object types and their features; generating a coverage plan for areas of the work environment; executing the coverage plan by the robot; capturing debris sensor data indicative of at least presence and absence of debris in locations within the work environment; determining areas of the work environment with a high presence of debris and a low presence of debris, wherein the map is updated to distinguish the areas with the high presence of debris and the areas with the low presence of debris.

Abstract: A method for operating a mobile robotic device, including: selecting, by the processor, actions of the mobile robotic device as the mobile robotic device navigates through a workspace, wherein: at least a portion of the actions transitions the mobile robotic device from a current state to a next state; and each state of the mobile robotic device comprises at least a location of the mobile robotic device within the workspace; actuating, by the processor, the mobile robotic device to execute the actions; detecting, by the processor, whether a collision or a stuck event is experienced by the mobile robotic device; and associating, by the processor, a collision or a stuck event to a location within the workspace in which the collision or the stuck event occurred.

Abstract: A removable mop attachment module, including: a reservoir; an opening for filling the reservoir with a fluid; a lid for sealing the opening; at least one drainage aperture positioned on a bottom surface of the reservoir for draining fluid from the at least one drainage aperture; a mopping cloth; a means for holding the mopping cloth; and a pressure actuated valve positioned at least partially inside the reservoir.

Abstract: A removable dustbin for a robotic vacuum that is wholly separable from all electronic parts thereof including a motor unit such that the dustbin, when separated from the electronic parts, may be safely immersed in water for quick and easy cleaning. The dustbin design further facilitates easy access to the motor for convenient servicing and repair.

Abstract: Provided is a method for determining a coverage path of a robotic device, including: capturing, with a sensor, spatial data of the environment; detecting, with a processor, at least one obstacle within the environment based on the spatial data; determining, with the processor, a first working zone within the environment; determining, with the processor, a coverage path within the first working zone that accounts for at least one of the obstacles detected within the first working zone; actuating, with the processor, a robotic device to drive along the coverage path within the first working zone; and wherein the processor determines an adapted coverage path when a new obstacle is detected and wherein the processor actuates the robotic device to drive along the adapted coverage path.

Abstract: Provided is a system including a robot and an application of a communication device. The robot includes a medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor of the robot effectuate operations including: obtaining first data indicative of a relative position of the robot in a workspace; actuating the robot to drive within the workspace to form a map including mapped perimeters that correspond with physical perimeters of the workspace while obtaining second data indicative of movement of the robot; and forming the map of the workspace based on at least some of the first data, wherein the map of the workspace expands as new first data are obtained, until all perimeters of the workspace are included in the map. The application is configured to display information, such as the map, and receive user input.

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 robotic cleaner executing operations such as capturing data indicative of locations of objects in a workspace through which the robot moves; generating or updating a map of at least a part of the workspace based on at least the data; and navigating based on the map or an updated map of the workspace. The robotic cleaner may include a side brush with a main body with at least one attachment point and at least one bundle of bristles attached to the at least one attachment point of the main body.

Abstract: A method for operating a robotic device. Usage data and a first location of the robotic device are determined. A first sensor of the robotic device captures first data indicative of an environmental characteristic of the first location. A first operational parameter of a first actuator is adjusted based on the first data while the robotic device is at the first location. A debris map of the environment is formed based on debris data output by a second sensor configured to sense debris on a floor. A request for cleaning service at a location is received, wherein the robotic device is one of a plurality of robotic devices that provides surface cleaning services to a plurality of users. The robotic device to respond to the request is determined based on location, fill volume of a debris container, battery charge, and availability of each of the plurality of robotic devices.

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: A method for perceiving a model of an environment, including: capturing a plurality of data while the robot moves within the environment, wherein: the plurality of data comprises at least a first data and a second data captured by a first sensor of a first sensor type and a second sensor of a second sensor type, respectively; the first sensor type is an imaging sensor; the second senor type captures movement data; an active source of illumination is positioned adjacent to the imaging sensor such that reflections of illumination light illuminating a path of the robot fall within a field of view of the imaging sensor; perceiving the model of the environment based on at least a portion of the plurality of data; storing the model of the environment in a memory; and transmitting the model of the environment to an application of a smartphone.

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: A robot including a chassis; a set of wheels coupled to the chassis; a range finding system coupled to the robot; 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: obtaining, with the processor, distances to obstacles measured by the range finding system as the robot moves relative to the obstacles; and determining, with the processor, a position of the obstacle based at least partially on the distance measurements, including: identifying, with the processor, at least one position of the range finding system when encountering the obstacle; and determining, with the processor, the position of the obstacle based at least partially on the at least one position of the range finding system when encountering the obstacle.