Abstract: A system and method are described that provide for mapping features of a warehouse environment having improved workflow. In one example of the system/method of the present invention, a mapping robot is navigated through a warehouse environment, and sensors of the mapping robot collect geospatial data as part of a mapping mode. A Frontend N block of a map framework may be responsible for reading and processing the geospatial data from the sensors of the mapping robot, as well as various other functions. The data may be stored in a keyframe object at a keyframe database. A Backend block of the map framework may be useful for detecting loop constraints, building submaps, optimizing a pose graph using keyframe data from one or more trajectory blocks, and/or various other functions.

Abstract: To load and unload a trailer, an autonomous mobile robot determines its location and the location of objects within the trailer relative to the trailer itself, rather than relative to a warehouse. The autonomous mobile robot determines its location the location of objects within the trailer relative to the trailer. The autonomous mobile robot navigates within the trailer and manipulates objects within the trailer from the trailer's reference frame. Additionally, the autonomous mobile robot uses a centerline heuristic to compute a path for itself within the trailer. A centerline heuristic evaluates nodes within the trailer based on how far away those nodes are from the centerline. If the nodes are further away from the centerline, they are assigned a higher cost. Thus, when the autonomous mobile robot computes a path, the path is more likely to stay near the centerline of the trailer rather than get closer to the sides.

Abstract: An autonomous mobile robot uses a capability-aware pathfinding algorithm to traverse from a start pose to an end pose efficiently and effectively. The robot receives a start pose and an end pose, and determines a primary path from the start pose to the end pose based on a primary pathfinding algorithm. The robot may smooth the primary path using Bezier curves. The robot may identify a conflict point on the primary path where the robot cannot traverse, and may determine a secondary path from a first point before the conflict point to a second point after the conflict point. The secondary path may use a secondary pathfinding algorithm that uses motion primitives of the robot to generate the secondary path based on the motion capabilities of the robot. The robot may then traverse from the start pose to the end pose based on the primary path and the secondary path.