Abstract: A cleaning roller mountable to a cleaning robot includes an elongate shaft extending from a first end portion to a second end portion along an axis of rotation. The first and second end portions are mountable to the cleaning robot for rotating about the axis of rotation. The cleaning roller further includes a core affixed around the shaft and having outer end portions positioned along the elongate shaft and proximate the first and second end portions. The core tapers from proximate the first end portion of the shaft toward a center of the shaft. The cleaning roller further includes a sheath affixed to the core and extending beyond the outer end portions of the core. The sheath includes a first half and a second half each tapering toward the center of the shaft.

Abstract: A method of operating an autonomous cleaning robot includes receiving, at a handheld computing device, a first input representing a first set of cleaning schedule parameters for a first cleaning schedule for the autonomous cleaning robot, the first cleaning schedule corresponding to a first area. The method includes presenting, on a display of the handheld computing device, the first cleaning schedule. The method includes receiving, at the handheld computing device, a second input representing a second set of cleaning schedule parameters for a second cleaning schedule for the autonomous cleaning robot, the second cleaning schedule corresponding to a second area different from the first area. The method includes presenting, on the display, the first and second cleaning schedules, and initiating a transmission to the autonomous cleaning robot, based on the first or second cleaning schedules, the transmission including data for causing the robot to initiate a cleaning mission.

Abstract: An example robot includes a body that is movable relative to a surface, a bumper mounted on the body to enable movement of the bumper relative to the body, a sensor to produce a signal in response to the movement of the bumper relative to the body caused by contact between the bumper and the surface, and a controller to control movement of the body to cause the body to track the surface based on a value. The bumper is movable between an uncompressed position relative to the body and a compressed position relative to the body. The signal varies linearly with the movement of the bumper relative to the body. The value is based on the signal and indicates that the bumper in a partially compressed position has a compression range between the uncompressed position and the compressed position.

Abstract: An autonomous floor-cleaning robot comprising a housing infrastructure including a chassis, a power subsystem, a motive subsystem to propel the robot for cleaning operations, a command and control subsystem to control the robot to effect cleaning operations, and a self-adjusting cleaning head subsystem that includes a deck mounted in pivotal combination with the chassis, a brush assembly to sweep up particulates during cleaning operations, a vacuum assembly to ingest particulates during cleaning operations, and a deck adjusting subassembly mounted in combination with the motive subsystem for the brush assembly, the deck, and the chassis that is automatically operative in response to an increase in brush torque in said brush assembly to pivot the deck with respect to said chassis. The robot includes a side brush assembly to entrain particulates outside the periphery of the housing infrastructure and to direct such particulates towards the self-adjusting cleaning head system.

Abstract: A pad particularly adapted for surface cleaning. The pad includes an absorbent core having the ability to absorb and retain liquid material, and a liner layer in contact with and covering at least one side of the absorbent core. The liner layer has the ability to retain and wick liquid material through the liner layer. Cleaning apparatus containing such pads and methods of using such pads are also described.

Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot includes a drive system to support the robot above a surface, a sensor system configured to generate a signal indicative of a location of the robot on the surface, and a controller operably connected to the drive system and the sensor system. The drive system is operable to navigate the robot about the surface. The controller is configured to execute instructions to perform operations including establishing a behavior control zone on the surface, controlling the drive system, in response to establishing the behavior control zone on the surface, to maneuver the robot to a location of the behavior control zone on the surface, and maneuvering, using the drive system, the robot about the surface and initiating a behavior in response to determining, based on the signal indicative of the location of the robot, that the robot is proximate the behavior control zone.

Abstract: An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis, a drive system configured to maneuver the robot, and a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly includes a cleaning assembly housing and at least one driven sweeper brush. The robot includes a controller and a removable sweeper bin configured to receive debris agitated by the driven sweeper brush. The sweeper bin includes an emitter disposed on an interior surface of the bin and a receiver disposed remotely from the emitter on the interior surface of the bin and configured to receive an emitter signal. The emitter and the receiver are disposed such that a threshold level of accumulation of debris in the sweeper bin blocks the receiver from receiving emitter emissions. The robot includes a bin controller disposed in the sweeper bin and monitoring a detector signal and initiating a bin full routine upon determining a bin debris accumulation level requiring service.

Abstract: A method includes constructing a map of an environment based on mapping data produced by an autonomous cleaning robot in the environment during a first cleaning mission. Constructing the map includes providing a label associated with a portion of the mapping data. The method includes causing a remote computing device to present a visual representation of the environment based on the map, and a visual indicator of the label. The method includes causing the autonomous cleaning robot to initiate a behavior associated with the label during a second cleaning mission.

Abstract: A cleaning roller is mountable to a cleaning robot. The cleaning roller includes a sheath comprising a shell, an outer diameter of the shell tapering from a first end portion of the sheath and a second end portion of the sheath toward a center of the roller. The cleaning roller further includes a core including a central portion interlocked with the sheath to rotationally couple the core to the sheath and inhibit relative translation of the sheath and the core along an axis of rotation. An inner surface of the sheath and an outer surface of the core define an air gap therebetween, the air gap extending from the central portion of the core longitudinally along the axis of rotation toward the first end portion or the second end portion.

Abstract: A method of mapping an area to be mowed with an autonomous mowing robot comprises receiving mapping data from a robot lawnmower, the mapping data specifying an area to be mowed and a plurality of locations of beacons positioned within the area to be mowed, and receiving at least first and second geographic coordinates for first and second reference points that are within the area and are specified in the mapping data. The mapping data is aligned to a coordinate system of a map image of the area using the first and second geographic coordinates. The map image is displayed based on aligning the mapping data to the coordinate system.

Abstract: An integrated intelligent system includes a first intelligent electronic device, a second intelligent electronic device, a transferable intelligent control device (TICD) and a cross product bus. The first intelligent electronic device performs a first function and the second intelligent electronic device performs a second function. The cross product bus couples the first intelligent electronic device to the transferable intelligent control device. The TICD partially controls behaviors of the intelligent electronic device by sending commands over the cross product bus to the first intelligent electronic device and the TICD partially controls behaviors of the second intelligent electronic device to perform the second function. The TICD is first attached to the first intelligent electronic device to partially control the behaviors of the first electronic device, then detached from the first electronic device, and then attached to the second intelligent electronic device to perform the second function.

Abstract: An autonomous mobile cleaning robot can include a robot body, a bumper, and a coupling. The robot body can include a displacement sensor. The bumper can be moveably coupled to the body. The coupling can include a displacement limiter associated with the displacement sensor. The displacement limiter can inhibit or limit sensing by the displacement sensor of displacement of the bumper from the robot body caused by forces below a threshold horizontal force value.

Abstract: A navigation control system for an autonomous vehicle comprises a transmitter and an autonomous vehicle. The transmitter comprises an emitter for emitting at least one signal, a power source for powering the emitter, a device for capturing wireless energy to charge the power source, and a printed circuit board for converting the captured wireless energy to a form for charging the power source. The autonomous vehicle operates within a working area and comprises a receiver for detecting the at least one signal emitted by the emitter, and a processor for determining a relative location of the autonomous vehicle within the working area based on the signal emitted by the emitter.

Abstract: A robot lawnmower includes a body and a drive system carried by the body and configured to maneuver the robot across a lawn. The robot also includes a grass cutter and a swath edge detector, both carried by the body. The swath edge detector is configured to detect a swath edge between cut and uncut grass while the drive system maneuvers the robot across the lawn while following a detected swath edge. The swath edge detector includes a calibrator that monitors uncut grass for calibration of the swath edge detector. In some examples, the calibrator comprises a second swath edge detector.

Abstract: An autonomous cleaning robot includes a drive operable to move the autonomous cleaning robot across a floor surface; a cleaning assembly configured to clean the floor surface; a receiver configured to receive an indication of cat activity in a cat box; and a controller configured to navigate the autonomous cleaning robot to the cat box to execute a cleaning mission in response to the received indication of cat activity.

Abstract: An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a transport drive and control system arranged for autonomous movement of the robot over a floor for performing cleaning operations. The robot chassis carries a first cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arranged to suction loose particulates up from the cleaning surface and a second cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arranged to apply a cleaning fluid onto the surface and to thereafter collect the cleaning fluid up from the surface after it has been used to clean the surface. The robot chassis carries a supply of cleaning fluid and a waste container for storing waste materials collected up from the cleaning surface.

Abstract: A system for enabling spot cleaning includes a mobile computing device and a mobile cleaning robot. The mobile computing device includes at least one camera configured to capture images of an environment, and at least one data processor configured to (a) establish, based at least in part on first information provided by the at least one image sensor, a coordinate system in the environment, (b) determine, based at least in part on second information provided by the at least one camera, a first set of coordinates of a region at a first location, (c) determine, based at least in part on third information provided by the at least one camera, a second set of coordinates of a mobile cleaning robot at a second location, (d) send the first set of coordinates and second set of coordinates, or coordinates of the first location relative to the second location, to the mobile cleaning robot, and (e) send an instruction to the mobile cleaning robot to request the mobile cleaning robot to travel to the first location.

Abstract: A method of navigating an autonomous coverage robot on a floor includes controlling movement of the robot across the floor in a cleaning mode. A sensor signal indicative of an obstacle is received. The robot is rotated away from the sensed obstacle. A change in the received sensor signal during at least a portion of the rotation of the robot away from the sensed obstacle is determined. The sensed obstacle is identified based at least in part on the determined change in the received sensor signal.