Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for validating location of a docking station for docking a mobile robot. In an example, a mobile robot system includes a docking station and a mobile cleaning robot. The mobile cleaning robot includes a drive system to move the mobile cleaning robot about an environment including a docking area within a distance of the docking station, and a controller circuit to detect, from an image of the docking area, a presence or absence of one or more obstacles in the docking area. A notification may be generated to inform a user about the detected obstacles. The mobile device may generate a recommendation to the user to clear the docking area or reposition the docking station, or suggest one or more candidate locations for placing the docking station.

Abstract: Robot localization or mapping can be provided without requiring the expense or complexity an “at-a-distance” sensor, such as a camera, a LIDAR sensor, or the like. Adjacency-derived landmark features can be used and non-unique landmark features can be accommodated. Uncertainty in robot pose can be tracked and compared to an adaptive threshold, and non-dock and docks based localization behavior can be controlled based on the uncertainty, the adaptive threshold, one or more other thresholds, and the accessibility of available differently oriented landmark features, such as perpendicularly oriented straight wall segments landmark features. Available features can be sorted according to a quality metric, and path planning and navigation techniques are also included for helping obtain successful wall-following and localization observations.

Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for controlling a mobile cleaning robot to escape from a stuck state using a learned robot escape behavior model. The model is trained using reinforcement learning at a cloud-computing device or networked devices. A mobile cleaning robot comprises a drive system, a sensor circuit to collect sensor data associated with a detected stuck state, and a controller circuit that can receive the trained robot escape behavior model, and apply the sensor data associated with the detected stuck state to the trained robot escape behavior model to determine an escape policy. The drive system or one or more actuators of the mobile robot can remove the mobile robot from the stuck state according to the determined escape policy.

Abstract: A mobile robot includes a processor connected to a memory and a wireless network circuit, for executing routines stored in the memory and commands generated by the routines and received via the wireless network circuit. The processor drives the mobile robot to a multiplicity of accessible two dimensional locations within a household, and commands an end effector, including at least one motorized actuator, to perform mechanical work in the household. A plurality of routines include a first routine which monitors a wireless local network and detects a presence of a network entity on the wireless local network, a second routine which receives a signal from a sensor detecting an action state of one of the network entities, the action state changeable between waiting and active, and a third routine which commands the end effector to change state of performing mechanical work based on the presence and on the action state.

Abstract: A cleaning system includes a robotic cleaner and an evacuation station. The robotic cleaner can dock with the evacuation station to have debris evacuated by the evacuation station. The robotic cleaner includes a bin to store debris, and the bin includes a port door through which the debris can be evacuated into the evacuation station. The evacuation station includes a vacuum motor to evacuate the bin of the robotic cleaner.

Abstract: A mobile cleaning robot includes a removable filter unit configured to receive a supply airflow generated by a blower and to filter debris from the supply airflow, a filter seat, a filter access opening, a filter access door, and a filter presence system. The filter access door is pivotable between a closed position, wherein the filter access door covers the filter access opening, and an open position, wherein the filter access door is displaced from the filter access opening to permit access to the filter seat. The filter presence system is configured to: permit the filter access door to move from the open position into the closed position when the filter unit is disposed in the filter seat; and prevent the filter access door from being moved into the closed position when the filter unit is not disposed in the filter seat. The filter presence system includes a lift arm movable between an extended position and a retracted position.

Abstract: A cleaning bin mountable to an autonomous cleaning robot operable to receive debris from a floor surface includes a debris compartment to receive a first portion of debris separated from the airflow and a particulate compartment to receive a second portion of debris separated from the airflow. The cleaning bin also includes a debris separation cone having an inner conduit defining an upper opening and lower opening. The upper opening receives the airflow from the air channel. The inner conduit tapers from the upper opening to the lower opening such that the airflow forms a cyclone within the inner conduit.

Abstract: An autonomous cleaning robot including a drive configured to move the cleaning robot across a floor surface in an area to be cleaned and a controller. The controller is configured to receive data representing an editable mission timeline including data representing a sequence of rooms to be cleaned, navigate the cleaning robot to clean the rooms following the sequence, track operational events occurring in each of the rooms, and transmit data about time spent navigating each room included in the sequence.

Abstract: A mobile robot includes a body movable over a surface within an environment, a calibration coil carried on the body and configured to produce a calibration magnetic field, a sensor circuit carried on the body and responsive to the calibration magnetic field, and a controller carried on the body and in communication with the sensor circuit. The sensor circuit is configured to generate calibration signals based on the calibration magnetic field. The controller is configured to calibrate the sensor circuit as a function of the calibration signals, thereby resulting in a calibrated sensor circuit configured to detect a transmitter magnetic field within the environment and to generate detection signals based on the transmitter magnetic field. The controller is configured to estimate a pose of the mobile robot as a function of the detection signals.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for social behavior of a telepresence robot are disclosed herein. A telepresence robot may include a drive system, a control system, an object detection system, and a social behaviors component. The drive system is configured to move the telepresence robot. The control system is configured to control the drive system to drive the telepresence robot around a work area. The object detection system is configured to detect a human in proximity to the telepresence robot. The social behaviors component is configured to provide instructions to the control system to cause the telepresence robot to operate according to a first set of rules when a presence of one or more humans is not detected and operate according to a second set of rules when the presence of one or more humans is detected.

Abstract: A multi-robot system includes a first a mobile cleaning robot that has a local storage device to store a persistent map of an environment, at least one sensor to sense the environment, and a control module. The control module is configured to: control the mobile cleaning robot to navigate in the environment using the persistent map and sensing data provided by the at least one sensor, share the persistent map with a second mobile cleaning robot, and coordinate with the second mobile cleaning robot to perform cleaning tasks.

Abstract: An autonomous cleaning robot includes a controller configured to execute instructions to perform one or more operations. The one or more operations includes operating a drive system to move the cleaning robot in a forward drive direction along a first obstacle surface with a side surface of the cleaning robot facing the first obstacle surface, then operating the drive system to turn the cleaning robot such that the side surface of the cleaning robot faces a second obstacle surface, then operating the drive system to move the cleaning robot in a rearward drive direction along the second obstacle surface, and then operating the drive system to move the cleaning robot in the forward drive direction along the second obstacle surface.

Abstract: Robot localization or mapping can be provided without requiring the expense or complexity of an “at-a-distance” sensor, such as a camera, a LIDAR sensor, or the like. Landmark features can be created or matched using motion sensor data, such as odometry or gyro data or the like, and adjacency sensor data. Despite the relative ambiguity of adjacency-sensor derived landmark features, a particle filter approach can be configured to use such information, instead of requiring “at-a-distance” information from a constant stream of visual images from a camera, such as for robot localization or mapping. Landmark sequence constraints or a Wi-Fi signal strength map can be used together with the particle filter approach.

Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a robot body, a drive supporting the robot body to maneuver the robot across a floor surface, a pad holder attached to an underside of the robot body and configured to receive a removable cleaning pad, and a pad sensor configured to sense a pad type identifier on a central region of the cleaning pad. The pad type identifier includes a marker on the central region of the cleaning pad. The cleaning pad has a mounting card affixed thereto, and the pad type identifier includes an array of apertures that expose selected portions of the marker.

Abstract: A method of mowing multiple areas includes training a robotic mower to mow at least two areas separated by a space, including moving the robotic mower about the areas while storing data indicative of location of boundaries of each area relative to boundary markers, training the robotic mower to move across the space separating the areas, and initiating a mowing operation. Training the robotic mower to move across the space separating the areas includes moving the robotic mower to a traversal launch point of a first of the areas and moving the robotic mower to a traversal landing point of a second of the areas. The mowing operation causes the robotic mower to move to the traversal launch point, move from the traversal launch point across the space to the traversal landing point, and then mow the second of the areas.

Abstract: A method of operating a mobile cleaning robot can include receiving a privacy mode setting from a user interface, where the privacy mode setting is based on a user selection between at least two different privacy mode settings for determining whether to operate the mobile cleaning robot in an image-capture-restricted mode. An image stream of an image capture device of the mobile cleaning robot is permitted in an absence of a user-selection of a more restrictive one of the privacy settings. At least a portion of the image stream is restricted or disabled based at least in part on a user-selection of a more restrictive one of the privacy settings.

Abstract: Described herein are systems, devices, and methods for maintaining a valid semantic map of an environment for a mobile robot. A mobile robot comprises a drive system, a sensor circuit to sense occupancy information, a memory, a controller circuit, and a communication system. The controller circuit can generate a first semantic map corresponding to a first robot mission using first occupancy information and first semantic annotations, transfer the first semantic annotations to a second semantic map corresponding to a subsequent second robot mission. The control circuit can generate the second semantic map that includes second semantic annotations generated based on the transferred first semantic annotations. User feedback on the first or the second semantic map can be received via a communication system. The control circuit can update first semantic map and use it to navigate the mobile robot in a future mission.

Abstract: A cleaning pad for an autonomous cleaning robot evenly wets and collects debris for cleaning operations. The pad includes a core of absorbent layers for absorbing liquid through capillary action and for distributing the liquid within the cleaning pad. The pad includes a wrap layer around the core, the wrap layer comprising a fibrous layer that is flexible and absorbent, the fibrous layer configured to absorb liquid through capillary action and transfer the liquid to the core. The pad includes one or more transition regions spanning a cleaning width of the cleaning pad, the one or more transition regions dividing the cleaning pad into at least two segments. The forward positioned segment of the pad, of the at least two segments of the pad, has a lesser thickness compared to a thickness of an aft positioned segment of the at least two segments.

Abstract: A cleaning pad includes a mounting surface disposed on a top side of the cleaning pad. The mounting surface is configured to provide a mechanical connection to an autonomous cleaning robot. The cleaning pad includes a first outer layer disposed on a bottom side of the cleaning pad, the first outer layer having a first coefficient of friction; and a second outer layer disposed on the bottom side of the cleaning pad, the second outer layer having a second coefficient of friction less than the first coefficient of friction.