Navigating autonomous coverage robots

Abstract

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 and 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.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A robot comprising:
 a chassis;   a wheeled drive supporting the chassis and operable to maneuver the robot;   one or more sensors responsive to an environment about the robot;   a memory storing instructions to generate an internal map configured to be used to navigate between bounded regions; and   a controller in communication with the wheeled drive, the sensors, and the memory, the controller executing the instructions to navigate the robot from a first bounded region to a second bounded region by navigating from a first navigation beacon to a second navigation beacon based on line-of-sight directions to distant observed objects, the first and second navigation beacons comprising passive physical objects having one or more features identifiable in the environment by the sensors.   
     
     
         33 . The robot of  claim 32 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to perform a remote room traversal sequence, in which the robot maneuvers away from the first navigation beacon and aligns in a particular direction using odometry to traverse the first bounded region according to the map. 
     
     
         34 . The robot of  claim 32 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to perform a remote room traversal sequence according to the map, in which the robot:
 maneuvers to the first navigation beacon;   turns away from the first navigation beacon to a launch direction based on an identifiable feature of the first navigation beacon; and   maneuvers in the launch direction towards the second navigation beacon.   
     
     
         35 . The robot of  claim 32 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to align the robot with one of the first and second navigation beacons and maneuver the robot according to the map. 
     
     
         36 . The robot of  claim 35 , wherein the executed instructions align the robot with one of the first and second navigation beacons by:
 discerning a position of the navigation beacon in response to detection of an identifiable feature of the navigation beacon; and   aligning a drive direction of the wheeled drive in relation to a path defined by the identifiable feature of the navigation beacon.   
     
     
         37 . The robot of  claim 32 , wherein the map comprises a topological map having nodes and links, wherein the nodes correspond to a plurality of bounded regions including the first and second bounded regions and the links correspond to a plurality of navigation beacons including the first and second navigation beacons. 
     
     
         38 . The robot of  claim 37 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to generate the map by detecting, with the sensors, a unique identifier relating to each of the plurality of navigation beacons, and incorporating an additional link and/or node in the map as each unique identifier is detected. 
     
     
         39 . The robot of  claim 38 , wherein the unique identifiers are encoded within emissions from respective navigation beacons. 
     
     
         40 . The robot of  claim 32 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to initiate one or more homing requests and navigate the robot according to a location state of the map, causing the robot to proceed successively through a plurality of bounded regions, including at least the first and second bounded regions. 
     
     
         41 . The robot of  claim 40 , wherein, during the one or more homing requests, instructions executed by the controller cause the robot to navigate between a plurality of navigation beacons, including the first and second navigation beacons, based on the map. 
     
     
         42 . The robot of  claim 32 , wherein the identifiable features of the first and second navigation beacons comprise directed emissions detectable by the sensors of the robot and indicating a direction of the beacon. 
     
     
         43 . The robot of  claim 42 , wherein one or more of the directed emissions comprises an IR signal. 
     
     
         44 . The robot of  claim 42 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise an omni-directional receiver configured to sense directed emissions from the first and second navigation beacons. 
     
     
         45 . The robot of  claim 32 , wherein the robot includes a floor cleaning system that removes debris from the floor as the robot is maneuvered. 
     
     
         46 . The robot of  claim 32 , wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to maneuver the robot in a cliff avoiding behavior as the robot navigates from the first bounded region to the second bounded region. 
     
     
         47 . The robot of  claim 32 , wherein the first and second bounded regions correspond to separate rooms of a building, such that navigation from the first navigation beacon to the second navigation beacon comprises room-to-room navigation.