A control system for a mobile robot ( 10 ) is provided to effectively cover a given area by operating in a plurality of modes, including an obstacle following mode ( 51 ) and a random bounce mode ( 49 ). In other embodiments, spot coverage, such as spiraling ( 45 ), or other modes are also used to increase effectiveness. In addition, a behavior based architecture is used to implement the control system, and various escape behaviors are used to ensure full coverage.

Method and system for multi-mode coverage for an autonomous robot

An autonomous floor-cleaning robot comprising a housing infrastructure including a chassis, a power subsystem; for providing the energy to power the autonomous floor-cleaning robot, a motive subsystem operative to propel the autonomous floor-cleaning robot for cleaning operations, a command and control subsystem operative to control the autonomous floor-cleaning robot to effect cleaning operations, and a self-adjusting cleaning head subsystem that includes a deck mounted in pivotal combination with the chassis, a brush assembly mounted in combination with the deck and powered by the motive subsystem to sweep up particulates during cleaning operations, a vacuum assembly disposed in combination with the deck and powered by the motive subsystem to ingest particulates during cleaning operations, and a deck adjusting subassembly mounted in combination with the motive subsystem for the brush assembly, the deck, and the chassis that is automatically operative in response to an increase in brush torque in said brush assembly to pivot the deck with respect to said chassis. The autonomous floor-cleaning robot also includes a side brush assembly mounted in combination with the chassis and powered by the motive subsystem to entrain particulates outside the periphery of the housing infrastructure and to direct such particulates towards the self-adjusting cleaning head subsystem.

Autonomous floor-cleaning robot

An autonomous floor cleaning robot includes a transport drive and control system arranged for autonomous movement of the robot over a floor for performing cleaning operations. The robot chassis carries a first cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arranged to suction loose particulates up from the cleaning surface and a second cleaning zone comprising cleaning elements arraigned to apply a cleaning fluid onto the surface and to thereafter collect the cleaning fluid up from the surface after it has been used to clean the surface. The robot chassis carries a supply of cleaning fluid and a waste container for storing waste materials collected up from the cleaning surface.

Autonomous surface cleaning robot for wet and dry cleaning

An autonomous cleaning apparatus includes a chassis, a drive system disposed on the chassis and operable to enable movement of the cleaning apparatus, and a controller in communication with the drive system. The controller includes a processor operable to control the drive system to steer movement of the cleaning apparatus. The autonomous cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning head system disposed on the chassis and a sensor system in communication with the controller. The sensor system includes a debris sensor for generating a debris signal, a bump sensor for generating a bump signal, and an obstacle following sensor disposed on a side of the autonomous cleaning apparatus for generating an obstacle signal. The processor executes a prioritized arbitration scheme to identify and implement one or more dominant behavioral modes based upon at least one signal received from the sensor system.

Navigational control system for a robotic device

A method for energy management in a robotic device includes providing a base station for mating with the robotic device, determining a quantity of energy stored in an energy storage unit of the robotic device, and performing a predetermined task based at least in part on the quantity of energy stored. Also disclosed are systems for emitting avoidance signals to prevent inadvertent contact between the robot and the base station, and systems for emitting homing signals to allow the robotic device to accurately dock with the base station.

Autonomous robot auto-docking and energy management systems and methods

PURPOSE: To prevent an obstacle sensor from receiving impulse force or friction force at the time of model traveling by providing a regulating means and the obstacle sensor so that a self-traveling vehicle can travel along an object. CONSTITUTION: A mobile truck 8 is provided with contact type tracing sensors 1-A, 1-B, 1-C and 1-D of the regulating means two by two respectively on the left and right side faces of a mobile truck main body 8 in an advancing direction 9. Besides, contact type obstacle sensors 10a-10d are provided on the four side faces of the mobile truck 8. While the model traveling is performed along an object 11 such as walls, the model traveling is provided by respectively controlling a traveling means through a travel control means and steering means through a steering control means while using a processing means based on the signals from the tracing sensors 1-A-1-D. When any obstacle is detected, the signals of the tracing sensors 1-A-1-D and the obstacle detection sensors 10a-10d are inputted to the processing means, and a position azimuth is controlled by respectively controlling the traveling means through the traveling control means and the steering means through the steering control means. COPYRIGHT: (C)1996,JPO

Autonomous traveling vehicle

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a unique function on both surfaces and to make them accessible by providing 1st and 2nd surfaces of an IC card with 1st and 2nd function parts and operating one desired function part to communicate externally. SOLUTION: An A-surface side of an IC card is provided with memory 5, a B-surface side is provided with a CPU 7, and the IC card has two functions as a memory card and a CPU card even though it is one piece of a card. When the IC card is used as a memory card, a card controlling part 6 is given an A-surface signal 10 as a used surface detection signal 20, and when it is used as a CPU card, a B-surface signal 15 is given. Because an MPU of the part 6 preliminarily stores information that specifies functions (the memory card or the CPU card) which are held by each use surface of the IC card, it can decide whether an IC card to be inserted is accessed as a memory card or as a CPU card based on the signal 20.

Ic card, and ic card system including the same

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a three-dimensional image pickup device which is capable of outputting the image of an object suitable for searching for a corresponding point independently of the aspect or ambient light of the object. SOLUTION: A three-dimensional image pickup device images an object at the same time from a plurality of positions which confront the object from different directions. The three-dimensional image pickup device is equipped with a light projector which is capable of irradiating the surface of the object with pattern light so as to enhance contrast, a discriminating means which discriminates the contrast of the surface of the target, and a controller which controls the operation of the light projector corresponding to the discriminations result of contrast.

Image pickup device for three-dimensional input

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate erroneous correspondent as little as possible in correspondent point search and to perform exact corresponding SOLUTION: In the method for finding mutual correspondent points in an object area concerning two images having a parallax while respectively having an object area and a background area, concerning the background area adjacent to the object area, the luminance of a background device arranged behind an object is changed so that the luminance can be close to the luminance of the object area, a multi-resolution image is prepared concerning two images to find the correspondent points on the basis of an image photographed after the change, points corresponding to the images of respective resolution are found in order from the image of the lowest resolution, and the result is used for finding the point corresponding to the image of the next resolution

Satoshi Himeda

Papers

Autonomous traveling vehicle

Ic card, and ic card system including the same

Image pickup device for three-dimensional input

Correspondent point searching method and photographing system