Neato Robotics, Inc.

Bryant Pong

Sarath Kumar Suvarna

Pawel Orzechowski

Joe Tate

Henry A Leinhos

Ina L Liu

Matthew John Znameroski

Yari D'Areglia

Marco Uberti

Jose Capriles

In one embodiment, a user indicates one or more virtual zones on an area map on a user device for a particular robot. The zones are then transferred to the robot. The robot determines an optimum order for multiple zones and a path for navigating to the different zones.

Zone cleaning apparatus and method

In one embodiment, a cleaning robot stores multiple floorplans. The robot automatically determines which floorplan it is in by localizing and trying to match its detected environment to the stored map. The best fit is the map for the current floor. If there is no match above a confidence threshold, the robot assumes it is a new floor or the floorplan has changed (e.g., furniture has moved), and the robot initiates a discovery mode to map the floorplan and add it to the robot's memory.

Automatic recognition of multiple floorplans by cleaning robot

In one embodiment, a virtual boundary is provided in the global coordinates of the area map and is converted into a plurality of line segments corresponding to a plurality of partial maps. In one embodiment, a physical boundary indicator is used during a training/mapping run, with the location added to the area map and the physical boundary indicator later moved. In one embodiment, the virtual boundary changes over time to change cleaning areas, act as a gate, change associated cleaning mode, etc. In one embodiment, virtual areas with boundaries are selected by a user.

Robotic virtual boundaries

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Bryant Pong