Modular robotic floor-cleaning system

Abstract

Some aspects provide a floor cleaning system, including: a robot, including: a chassis; a set of wheels; a processor; a plurality of sensors; a vacuum module; a mopping module; a dustbin module for storing debris; a cleaning fluid tank module for storing cleaning fluid; and a rechargeable battery module; and a base station; wherein: the base station is configured to empty debris stored within the dustbin module; the base station is configured to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid; and the robot navigates to the base station when a rechargeable battery charge of the rechargeable battery module is below a first threshold during operation and departs the base station to continue operation when the rechargeable battery charge is above a second threshold.

1 . A floor cleaning system, comprising:
 a robot, comprising:
 a chassis; 
 a set of wheels; 
 a processor; 
 a plurality of sensors; 
 a vacuum module; 
 a mopping module; 
 a dustbin module for storing debris; 
 a cleaning fluid tank module for storing cleaning fluid; and 
 a rechargeable battery module; and 
   a base station;   wherein:
 the base station is configured to empty debris stored within the dustbin module; 
 the base station is configured to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid; and 
 the robot navigates to the base station when a rechargeable battery charge of the rechargeable battery module is below a first threshold during operation and departs the base station to continue operation when the rechargeable battery charge is above a second threshold. 
   
     
     
         2 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to clean at least a portion of the mopping module. 
     
     
         3 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the robot navigates to the base station to empty the debris stored in the dustbin module based on a particular interval. 
     
     
         4 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the robot navigates to the base station to empty the debris stored in the dustbin module based on at least a user instruction. 
     
     
         5 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a first sensor indicates an amount of cleaning fluid stored within the cleaning fluid tank module; and   the robot navigates to the base station to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid based on the amount of cleaning fluid stored within the cleaning fluid tank module.   
     
     
         6 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the robot navigates to the base station to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid based on at least user instruction. 
     
     
         7 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a second sensor indicates an amount of debris stored within the dustbin module; and   the robot navigates to the base station to empty the dustbin based on the amount of debris stored within the dustbin module.   
     
     
         8 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein a voltmeter detects the rechargeable battery charge of the rechargeable battery module. 
     
     
         9 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein at least odometry information is used in navigating the robot. 
     
     
         10 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one other robot shares the base station with the robot. 
     
     
         11 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 1 , wherein the base station comprises:
 a first repository for storing one or more used modules; and   a second repository for storing one or more new modules corresponding to a robot cleaning function, the one or more new modules having never been used previously by the floor cleaning system.   
     
     
         12 . The floor cleaning system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the robot ejects a used module from a module slot of the robot into the first repository of the base station; and   the base station loads a new module from the second repository of the base station into the module slot of the robot.   
     
     
         13 . A method for operating a robot and a corresponding base station, comprising:
 cleaning, with a vacuum module and mopping module of the robot, an environment;   emptying, with the base station, debris stored within a dustbin module of the robot;   replenishing, with the base station, a cleaning fluid tank module of the robot with cleaning fluid; and   recharging, with the base station, a rechargeable battery module of the robot when a rechargeable battery charge of the rechargeable battery module is below a first threshold during operation, wherein:
 the robot autonomously navigates to the base station to recharge the rechargeable battery module when the rechargeable battery charge is below the first threshold; and 
 the robot departs the base station to continue operation when the rechargeable battery charge is above a second threshold. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 cleaning, with the base station, at least a portion of the mopping module.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the robot navigates to the base station to empty the debris stored in the dustbin module based on a particular interval. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the robot navigates to the base station to empty the debris stored in the dustbin module based on at least a user instruction. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 a first sensor disposed on the robot indicates an amount of cleaning fluid stored within the cleaning fluid tank module; and   the robot navigates to the base station to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid based on the amount of cleaning fluid stored within the cleaning fluid tank module.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the robot navigates to the base station to replenish the cleaning fluid tank module with cleaning fluid based on at least user instruction. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 a second sensor disposed on the robot indicates an amount of debris stored within the dustbin module; and   the robot navigates to the base station to empty the dustbin based on the amount of debris stored within the dustbin module.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the base station comprises:
 a first repository for storing one or more used modules; 
 a second repository for storing one or more new modules corresponding to a robot cleaning function, the one or more new modules having never been used previously by the floor cleaning system; 
   the method further comprises:
 ejecting, with the robot, a used module from a module slot of the robot into the first repository of the base station; and 
 loading, with the base station, a new module from the second repository of the base station into the module slot of the robot.