Abstract: Provided is a process that includes: obtaining a first version of a map of a workspace; selecting a first undiscovered area of the workspace; in response to selecting the first undiscovered area, causing the robot to move to a position and orientation to sense data in at least part of the first undiscovered area; and obtaining an updated version of the map mapping a larger area of the workspace than the first version.

Abstract: Provided is a robot including: a chassis; wheels; electric motors; a network card; sensors; a processor; and a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: capturing, with at least one exteroceptive sensor, a first image and a second image; determining, with the processor, an overlapping area of the first image and the second image by comparing the raw pixel intensity values of the first image to the raw pixel intensity values of the second image; combining, with the processor, the first image and the second image at the overlapping area to generate a digital spatial representation of the environment; and estimating, with the processor using a statistical ensemble of simulated positions of the robot, a corrected position of the robot to replace a last known position of the robot within the digital spatial representation of the environment.

Abstract: Some aspects include a schedule development method for a robotic floor-cleaning device that recognizes patterns in user input to automatically devise a work schedule.

Abstract: Provided is a robot including main and peripheral brushes; a first actuator; a first sensor; one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors effectuate operations including: determining a first location of the robot in a working environment; obtaining, with the first sensor or another sensor, first data indicative of an environmental characteristic of the first location; adjusting a first operational parameter of the first actuator based on the sensed first data to cause the first operational parameter to be in a first adjusted state while the robot is at the first location; and forming or updating a debris map of the working environment based on data output by the first sensor or the another sensor configured to collect data indicative of an existence of debris on a floor of the working environment over at least one cleaning session.

Abstract: Provided is a process executed by a robot, including: traversing, to a first position, a first distance in a backward direction; after traversing the first distance, rotating in a first rotation; after the first rotation, traversing, to a second position, a second distance in a third direction; after traversing the second distance, rotating 180 degrees in a second rotation such that the field of view of the sensor points in a fourth direction; after the second rotation, traversing, to a third position, a third distance in the fourth direction; after traversing the second distance, rotating 180 degrees in a third rotation such that the field of view of the sensor points in the third direction; and after the third rotation, traversing, to a fourth position, a fourth distance in the third direction.

Abstract: Some embodiments include a robot, including: a plurality of sensors; at least one encoder; a processor; a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: measuring, with the at least one encoder, wheel rotation of at least one wheel; capturing, with an image sensor, images of an environment as the robot moves within the environment; identifying, with the processor, at least one characteristic of at least one object captured in the images of the environment; 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 database; and instructing, with the processor, the robot to execute at least one action based on at least one of: the object type of the at least one object and the measured wheel rotation of the at least one wheel.

Abstract: A robot adapted to capture a plurality of data; perceive a model of the environment based on the plurality of data; determine areas within which work was performed and areas within which work is yet to be performed; store the model of the environment in a memory accessible to the processor; and transmit the model of the environment and a status of the robot to an application of a smartphone previously paired with the robot.

Abstract: A media storing instructions that when executed by a processor of a robot effectuates operations including detecting an object in a line of sight of at least one sensor; adjusting a current path of the robot to include a detour path around the object, instructing the robot to resume along the current path after avoiding the object, discounting areas of overlap from a total area covered based on at least some data collected by sensors, inferring previously visited areas and unvisited areas, generating a planar representation of a workspace of the robot by stitching data collected by at least some sensors of the robot at overlapping points, and transmitting the planar representation and coverage statistics to an application of a communication device configured to display the information.

Abstract: Provided is a method for operating a robot, including capturing images of a workspace, comparing at least one object from the captured images to objects in an object dictionary, identifying a class to which the at least one object belongs using an object classification unit, instructing the robot to execute at least one action based on the object class identified, capturing movement data of the robot, and generating a planar representation of the workspace based on the captured images and the movement data, wherein the captured images indicate a position of the robot relative to objects within the workspace and the movement data indicates movement of the robot.

Abstract: A method for a robot to autonomously plan a navigational route and work duties in an environment of the robot including accessing historical sensor data stored from prior work cycles, determining the navigational route and work duties of the robot by processing probabilities based on the historical sensor data, enacting the navigational route and work duties by the robot, capturing new sensor data while the robot enacts the navigational route and work duties, processing the new sensor data, and altering the navigational route and work duties based on the new sensor data processed.

Abstract: A mop module of a robot, including: a liquid reservoir for storing liquid; and an electronically-controlled liquid release mechanism; wherein: the electronically-controlled liquid release mechanism releases liquid from the liquid reservoir for mopping a work surface; operation and a schedule of operation of the electronically-controlled liquid release mechanism in at least one area is controlled by a processor of the robot within which the mop module is installed or based on input provided to an application of a communication device paired with the robot; a liquid flow rate depends on at least an amount of power delivered to the electronically-controlled liquid release mechanism; and the liquid flow rate for the at least one area is determined by the processor of the robot within which the mop module is installed or an input provided to the application of the communication device paired with the robot.

Abstract: Provided is a robotic device, including: a chassis; a set of wheels; one or more motors to drive the set of wheels; a suspension system; a controller in communication with the one or more motors; at least one sensor; a camera; one or more processors; a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors effectuate operations including: capturing, with the camera, spatial data of surroundings; generating, with the one or more processors, a spatial model of the surroundings based on the spatial data; generating, with the one or more processors, a movement path based on the spatial model of the surroundings; inferring, with the one or more processors, a location of the robotic device; and updating, with the one or more processors, the movement path to exclude locations of the movement path that the robotic device has previously been located.

Abstract: Provided is a method for operating a robot, including capturing images of a workspace, comparing at least one object from the captured images to objects in an object dictionary, identifying a class to which the at least one object belongs using an object classification unit, instructing the robot to execute at least one action based on the object class identified, capturing movement data of the robot, and generating a planar representation of the workspace based on the captured images and the movement data, wherein the captured images indicate a position of the robot relative to objects within the workspace and the movement data indicates movement of the robot.

Abstract: A method for identifying objects for autonomous robots, including: capturing, with an image sensor disposed on an autonomous robot, images of a workspace, wherein a field of view of the image sensor captures at least an area in front of the autonomous robot; obtaining, with a processing unit disposed on the autonomous robot, the images; generating, with the processing unit, a feature vector from the images; comparing, with the processing unit, at least one object captured in the images to objects in an object dictionary; identifying, with the processing unit, a class to which the at least one object belongs; and executing, with the autonomous robot, instructions based on the class of the at least one object identified.

Abstract: Provided is provide a robotic device, including: a chassis; a set of wheels; a control system; a battery; one or more sensors; a processor; a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuates operations including: capturing, with the one or more sensors, data of an environment of the robotic device and data indicative of movement of the robotic device; generating or updating, with the processor, a map of the environment based on at least a portion of the captured data; inferring, with the one or more processors of the robotic device, a current location of the robotic device, and generating or updating, with the processor, a movement path of the robotic device based on at least the map of the environment, at least a portion of the captured data, and the inferred current location of the robotic device.

Abstract: Provided is an integrated bumper system including an integrated bumper system of a robot, including a bumper elastically coupled with a chassis of the robot and comprising an opening in a top surface of the bumper; at least one elastic element coupled to the chassis and interfacing with the bumper; and a bridging element coupled with the chassis or another component of the robot, wherein the bumper slides relative to the bridging element upon an impact and a release of the impact; a perimeter of the opening of the bumper is hidden beneath the bridging element when the bumper is in a neutral position and an impacted position; and the perimeter of the opening of the bumper remains hidden beneath the bridging element during movement of the bumper caused by the impact and the release of the impact.

Abstract: Provided are operations including: receiving, with one or more processors of a robot, an image of an environment from an imaging device separate from the robot; obtaining, with the one or more processors, raw pixel intensity values of the image; extracting, with the one or more processors, objects and features in the image by grouping pixels with similar raw pixel intensity values, and by identifying areas in the image with greatest change in raw pixel intensity values; determining, with the one or more processors, an area within a map of the environment corresponding with the image by comparing the objects and features of the image with objects and features of the map; and, inferring, with the one or more processors, one or more locations captured in the image based on the location of the area of the map corresponding with the image.

Abstract: Some aspects include a schedule development method for a robotic floor-cleaning device that recognizes patterns in user input to automatically devise a work schedule.

Abstract: Provided is a method including: capturing first data indicative of the position of the robot in relation to objects within the workspace and second data indicative of movement of the robot; recognizing, with a processor of the robot, a first area of the workspace based on at least one of: a first part of the first data and a first part of the second data; generating, with the processor of the robot, at least part of a map of the workspace based on at least one of: the first part of the first data and the first part of the second data; generating, with the processor of the robot, a first movement path covering at least part of the first recognized area; actuating, with the processor of the robot, the robot to move along the first movement path.

Abstract: Provided is a robot, including: a chassis; a set of wheels coupled to the chassis; a processor; and a tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor effectuate operations including: capturing, by an image sensor disposed on a robot, images of a workspace; obtaining, by the processor of the robot or via the cloud, the captured images; comparing, by the processor of the robot or via the cloud, at least one object from the captured images to objects in an object dictionary; identifying, by the processor of the robot or via the cloud, a class to which the at least one object belongs using an object classification unit; and instructing, by the processor of the robot, the robot to execute at least one action based on the object class identified.