Navigating autonomous coverage robots

摘要

A method of navigating an autonomous coverage robot between bounded areas includes positioning a navigation beacon in a gateway between adjoining first and second bounded areas. The beacon configured to transmit a gateway marking emission across the gateway. In some example, the navigation beacon may also transmit a proximity emission laterally about the beacon, where the robot avoids cleaning the migration within the proximity emission. The method also includes placing the coverage robot within the first bounded area. The robot autonomously traverses the first bounded area in a cleaning mode and upon encountering the gateway marking emission in the gateway, the robot remains in the first bounded area, thereby avoiding the robot migration into the second area. Upon termination of the cleaning mode in the first area, the robot autonomously initiates a migration mode to move through the gateway, past the beacon, into the second bounded area.

主权项

1. A robot comprising:
a chassis; a wheeled drive supporting the chassis and operable to maneuver the robot; sensors responsive to an environment about the robot; a memory storing:
instructions configured as a set of routines to cause the wheeled drive to move the robot according to a predetermined sequence based on enabling conditions that must be satisfied, the set of routines comprising a plurality of working routines and a plurality of escape routines, wherein each routine of the set is assigned a priority and one or more enabling conditions, andinstructions to enable control of the wheeled drive according to the assigned priorities and enabling conditions, the instructions configured to control the wheeled drive according to a highest priority routine of the set for which all assigned enabling conditions have been satisfied; and a controller in communication with the wheeled drive, the sensors, and the memory, the controller executing the instructions to:
identify, from among the set of routines, a subset of routines for which all assigned enabling conditions have been satisfied, the subset of routines comprising one or more working routines and one or more escape routines;select, from among the identified subset of routines, an escape routine having the highest priority of the subset of routines; andcontrol the wheeled drive according to the selected escape routine.