Abstract: One variation of a method for deploying a mobile robotic system to scan inventory structures within a store includes: dispatching the mobile robotic system to navigate along inventory structures within the store during a setup cycle; at the mobile robotic system, while navigating along the inventory structures during the setup cycle, capturing a set of wireless connectivity metrics representing connectivity to a first wireless network; assembling the set of wireless connectivity metrics into a wireless connectivity map of the store; estimating a processing duration from start of the scan cycle to transformation of images of the inventory structures, captured by the mobile robotic system, into a stock condition of the store; and dispatching the mobile robotic system to autonomously capture images of the inventory structures within the store during a scan cycle preceding a scheduled restocking period in the store based on the processing duration.

Abstract: One variation of a method for tracking placement of products in a store includes: accessing an image recorded by a mobile robotic system within a store; detecting a shelf in a region of the image; based on an address of the shelf, retrieving a list of products assigned to the shelf by a planogram of the store; retrieving a set of template images—from a database of template images—defining visual features of products specified in the list of products; extracting a set of features from the region of the image; determining that a unit of the product is mis-stocked on the shelf in response to deviation between the set of features and features in a template image, in the set of template images, representing the product; and in response to determining that the unit of the product is mis-stocked on the shelf, generating a restocking prompt for the product.

Abstract: One variation of a method for stock keeping in a store includes: accessing an image captured by a fixed camera within the store; retrieving a field of view of the fixed camera; estimating a segment of an inventory structure in the store depicted in the image based on a projection of the field of view onto a planogram of the store; identifying a set of slots within the inventory structure segment; retrieving a product model representing a set of visual characteristics of a product type assigned to a slot, in the set of slots, by the planogram; extracting a constellation of features from the image; if the constellation of features approximates the set of visual characteristics in the product model, detecting presence of a product unit of the product type occupying the inventory structure segment; and representing presence of the product unit, occupying the inventory structure segment, in a realogram.

Abstract: One variation of a method for tracking and maintaining inventory in a store includes: accessing a image of an inventory structure in the store; identifying a top shelf, in the inventory structure, depicted in the image; identifying a set of product units occupying the top shelf based on features detected in the image; identifying a second shelf, in the set of shelves in the inventory structure, depicted in the image, the second shelf arranged below the top shelf in the inventory structure; based on features detected in the image, detecting an understock condition at a slot-assigned to a product type-on the second shelf; and, in response to the set of product units comprising a product unit of the product type, generating a prompt to transfer the product unit of the product type from the top shelf into the slot on the second shelf at the inventory structure.

Abstract: One variation of a method for stock keeping in a store includes: accessing an image captured by a fixed camera within the store; retrieving a field of view of the fixed camera; estimating a segment of an inventory structure in the store depicted in the image based on a projection of the field of view onto a planogram of the store; identifying a set of slots within the inventory structure segment; retrieving a product model representing a set of visual characteristics of a product type assigned to a slot, in the set of slots, by the planogram; extracting a constellation of features from the image; if the constellation of features approximates the set of visual characteristics in the product model, detecting presence of a product unit of the product type occupying the inventory structure segment; and representing presence of the product unit, occupying the inventory structure segment, in a realogram.

Abstract: One variation of a method for deploying a robotic system to scan inventory within a store includes: retrieving generic recommended baseline scan frequencies assigned to a set of product types stocked in the store; annotating a map of the store according to generic recommended baseline scan frequencies and locations of the set of product types in the store; overwriting baseline scan frequencies assigned to locations in the store based on inputs from the user; accessing elapsed times since capture of last images of slots in the store, assigned to these product types, by the robotic system; calculating urgency scores for imaging these slots proportional to differences between elapsed times and scan frequencies; and calculating a scan route traversable by the robotic system to preferentially locate, within the field of view of the robotic system, locations in the store associated with higher urgency scores over locations associated with lower urgency scores.

Abstract: One variation of a method for tracking promotional states of slots in inventory structures within a store includes: accessing an image of an inventory structure within a store; detecting a shelf tag on the inventory structure in the image; extracting a set of features from the shelf tag detected in the image; detecting a promotional tag on the inventory structure in the image; extracting a set of features from the promotional tag detected in the image; detecting a deviation between the shelf tag and the promotional tag based on a difference between the sets of features; and, in response to detecting the deviation between the shelf tag and the promotional tag, identifying the first promotional tag as erroneous, and notifying a store associate to replace the first promotional tag with a second promotional tag at the first slot, the second promotional tag correcting the difference.

Abstract: One variation of a method for tracking and maintaining inventory in a store includes: accessing a image of an inventory structure in the store; identifying a top shelf, in the inventory structure, depicted in the image; identifying a set of product units occupying the top shelf based on features detected in the image; identifying a second shelf, in the set of shelves in the inventory structure, depicted in the image, the second shelf arranged below the top shelf in the inventory structure; based on features detected in the image, detecting an understock condition at a slot—assigned to a product type—on the second shelf; and, in response to the set of product units comprising a product unit of the product type, generating a prompt to transfer the product unit of the product type from the top shelf into the slot on the second shelf at the inventory structure.

Abstract: One variation of a method for tracking promotional states of slots in inventory structures within a store includes: accessing an image of an inventory structure within a store; detecting a shelf tag on the inventory structure in the image; extracting a set of features from the shelf tag detected in the image; detecting a promotional tag on the inventory structure in the image; extracting a set of features from the promotional tag detected in the image; detecting a deviation between the shelf tag and the promotional tag based on a difference between the sets of features; and, in response to detecting the deviation between the shelf tag and the promotional tag, identifying the first promotional tag as erroneous, and notifying a store associate to replace the first promotional tag with a second promotional tag at the first slot, the second promotional tag correcting the difference.

Abstract: One variation of a method for deploying a mobile robotic system to scan inventory structures within a store includes: dispatching the mobile robotic system to navigate along inventory structures within the store during a setup cycle; at the mobile robotic system, while navigating along the inventory structures during the setup cycle, capturing a set of wireless connectivity metrics representing connectivity to a first wireless network; assembling the set of wireless connectivity metrics into a wireless connectivity map of the store; estimating a processing duration from start of the scan cycle to transformation of images of the inventory structures, captured by the mobile robotic system, into a stock condition of the store; and dispatching the mobile robotic system to autonomously capture images of the inventory structures within the store during a scan cycle preceding a scheduled restocking period in the store based on the processing duration.

Abstract: One variation of a method for deploying a mobile robotic system to scan inventory structures within a store includes: dispatching the mobile robotic system to navigate along inventory structures within the store during a setup cycle; at the mobile robotic system, while navigating along the inventory structures during the setup cycle, capturing a set of wireless connectivity metrics representing connectivity to a first wireless network; assembling the set of wireless connectivity metrics into a wireless connectivity map of the store; estimating a processing duration from start of the scan cycle to transformation of images of the inventory structures, captured by the mobile robotic system, into a stock condition of the store; and dispatching the mobile robotic system to autonomously capture images of the inventory structures within the store during a scan cycle preceding a scheduled restocking period in the store based on the processing duration.

Abstract: One variation of a method for stock keeping in a store includes: accessing an image captured by a fixed camera within the store; retrieving a field of view of the fixed camera; estimating a segment of an inventory structure in the store depicted in the image based on a projection of the field of view onto a planogram of the store; identifying a set of slots within the inventory structure segment; retrieving a product model representing a set of visual characteristics of a product type assigned to a slot, in the set of slots, by the planogram; extracting a constellation of features from the image; if the constellation of features approximates the set of visual characteristics in the product model, detecting presence of a product unit of the product type occupying the inventory structure segment; and representing presence of the product unit, occupying the inventory structure segment, in a realogram.

Abstract: A method includes: locating a first slot boundary around a first product unit, in an image of an inventory structure in a store, identifies as a first product type based on features detected in the image; extracting a first product identifier, from a first slot tag, detected in the image; based on correspondence between the first product identifier and product type, associating the first slot boundary with the first slot tag and extracting a first relative tag-boundary position of the first slot boundary and slot tag from the image; extracting a second product identifier from a second slot tag detected in the image; predicting a second slot boundary, assigned to a second product type corresponding to the second product identifier, in the image based on a second position of the second tag in the image and the first relative tag-boundary position.

Abstract: One variation of a method for automatically generating a planogram for a store includes: dispatching a robotic system to autonomously navigate within the store during a mapping routine; accessing a floor map of the floor space generated by the robotic system from map data collected during the mapping routine; identifying a shelving structure within the map of the floor space; defining a first set of waypoints along an aisle facing the shelving structure; dispatching the robotic system to navigate to and to capture optical data at the set of waypoints during an imaging routine; receiving a set of images generated from optical data recorded by the robotic system during the imaging routine; identifying products and positions of products in the set of images; and generating a planogram of the shelving segment based on products and positions of products identified in the set of images.

Abstract: A method for stock keeping in a store includes: accessing an image captured by a fixed camera within the store; retrieving a field of view of the fixed camera; estimating a segment of an inventory structure in the store depicted in the image based on a projection of the field of view onto a planogram of the store; identifying a set of slots within the inventory structure segment; retrieving a product model representing a set of visual characteristics of a product type assigned to a slot, in the set of slots, by the planogram; extracting a constellation of features from the image; if the constellation of features approximates the set of visual characteristics in the product model, detecting presence of a product unit of the product type occupying the inventory structure segment; and representing presence of the product unit, occupying the inventory structure segment, in a realogram.

Abstract: A method for maintaining inventory within a store includes: accessing an image (e.g., a color image, depth image) depicting an inventory structure; detecting a slot region of the image depicting a slot; identifying a product type assigned to the slot; accessing a product dimension of the product type; defining a target region within the slot in the image based on the product dimension; defining a product region within the slot in the image based on the product dimension and the target region; defining a back-of-shelf plane intersecting the target region of the image; detecting a surface within the product region; and, in response to the surface intersecting the back-of-shelf plane, identifying the slot as empty and generating a prompt to restock the slot with product units of the product type.

Abstract: One variation of a method for tracking placement of products in a store includes: accessing an image recorded by a mobile robotic system within a store; detecting a shelf in a region of the image; based on an address of the shelf, retrieving a list of products assigned to the shelf by a planogram of the store; retrieving a set of template images—from a database of template images—defining visual features of products specified in the list of products; extracting a set of features from the region of the image; determining that a unit of the product is mis-stocked on the shelf in response to deviation between the set of features and features in a template image, in the set of template images, representing the product; and in response to determining that the unit of the product is mis-stocked on the shelf, generating a restocking prompt for the product.

Abstract: One variation of a method for segmenting scenes of product units arranged in inventory structures within a store includes: accessing an image based on data captured by a mobile robotic system; detecting a shelving segment in the image; reading a segment identifier from a segment tag, detected in the image, arranged on the shelving segment; accessing a product template representing a product type in the set of product types assigned to the shelving segment based on the segment identifier; detecting a set of product features, in the first region of the image. In response to detecting the set of product features analogous to features of the product template: confirming presence of the unit of the first product type on the shelf in the shelving segment and appending the first product type to a list of product types presently stocked in the shelving segment.

Abstract: A method for maintaining inventory within a store includes: accessing an image (e.g., a color image, depth image) depicting an inventory structure; detecting a slot region of the image depicting a slot; identifying a product type assigned to the slot; accessing a product dimension of the product type; defining a target region within the slot in the image based on the product dimension; defining a product region within the slot in the image based on the product dimension and the target region; defining a back-of-shelf plane intersecting the target region of the image; detecting a surface within the product region; and, in response to the surface intersecting the back-of-shelf plane, identifying the slot as empty and generating a prompt to restock the slot with product units of the product type.

Abstract: One variation of a method for deploying a robotic system to scan inventory within a store includes: retrieving generic recommended baseline scan frequencies assigned to a set of product types stocked in the store; annotating a map of the store according to generic recommended baseline scan frequencies and locations of the set of product types in the store; overwriting baseline scan frequencies assigned to locations in the store based on inputs from the user; accessing elapsed times since last images of slots in the store, assigned to these product types, were captured by the robotic system; calculating urgency scores for imaging these slots proportional to differences between elapsed times and their scan frequencies; and calculating a scan route that preferentially locates, within the field of view of the robotic system, locations in the store associated with higher first urgency scores over locations associated with lower first urgency scores.