Irobot Corporation

Irobot Defense Holdings, Inc.

John P O'Brien

Adam P Couture

Mikhail Filippov

Richard Page

Ellen B Cargill

Douglas Dell'Accio

Flavia Pastore

Paul Schmitt

Benjamin Pheil

Andrew M Shein

Milan Modh

Cheuk Wah Wong

Rogelio Manfred Neumann

Eric Burbank

Benjamin H Schriesheim

Travis James Gschrey

Fangzheng Guo

Vazgen Karapetyan

William Morris

Landon Unninayar

Qingtai Zhai

Andrew Shein

Systems, devices, and methods for docking a mobile robot to a dock using distinct visual fiducial markers on the dock are disclosed. A mobile robot system is provided that includes a dock and a mobile cleaning robot. The dock includes a first fiducial marker in a first plane on the dock and second one or more fiducial markers in a second plane different from the first plane. The mobile cleaning robot includes a visual system to detect the first and the second one or more fiducial markers, and a controller circuit to recognize the dock, and to determine a pose or heading direction of the mobile cleaning robot based on the detected first and the second one or more fiducial markers. The mobile drive system can adjust its heading direction, and drive to the dock according to the adjusted heading direction.

Systems and methods for visual docking in an autonomous mobile robot

An evacuation station for collecting debris from a cleaning robot includes a controller configured to execute instructions to perform one or more operations. The one or more operations includes initiating an evacuation operation such that an air mover draws air containing debris from the cleaning robot, through an intake of the evacuation station, and through a canister of the evacuation station and such that a receptacle received by the evacuation station receives at least a portion of the debris drawn from the cleaning robot. The one or more operations includes ceasing the evacuation operation in response to a pressure value being within a range. The pressure value is determined based at least in part on data indicative of an air pressure, and the range is set based at least in part on a number of evacuation operations initiated before the evacuation operation.

Control of evacuation stations

An autonomous mobile robot includes a housing infrastructure, a drive system including one or more wheels to support the housing infrastructure above a floor surface, a cleaning assembly, electrical circuitry positioned within the robot housing and an electrostatic discharge assembly including an electrostatic discharge member that includes a metallic contact electrically connected to the electrical circuitry and extending, from the electrical circuitry, to an exterior of the housing infrastructure. The electrical circuitry includes a controller to initiate a cleaning operation in which the drive propels the robot across the floor surface while the cleaning assembly cleans the floor surface.

Electrostatic discharge systems for autonomous mobile robots

A robot that includes a cleaning head including a first cleaning roller comprising a first sheath comprising a first shell and a first plurality of vanes extending along the first shell and extending radially outward from the first shell, the first shell tapering from end portions of the first sheath toward a center of the first cleaning roller, and the first plurality of vanes having a uniform height relative to a first axis of rotation of the first cleaning roller; and a second cleaning roller comprising a second sheath comprising a second shell and a second plurality of vanes extending along the second shell and extending radially outward from the second shell, the second shell being cylindrical along an entire length of the second cleaning roller, and the second plurality of vanes having a uniform height relative to a second axis of rotation of the second cleaning roller.

Cleaning head including cleaning rollers for cleaning robots

A mobile robot includes a recessed well in a top surface of the mobile robot, at least one capacitive sensor underlying the recessed well and having a first region and a second region, one or more mobility sensors, and a controller coupled to the at least one capacitive sensor and the one or more mobility sensors. The controller is configured to determine an operating status of the mobile robot responsive to output signals from the one or more mobility sensors, and selectively disregard an input at a first portion of the recessed well corresponding to the first region of the at least one capacitive sensor based on the operating status of the mobile robot.

Mobile robots with intelligent capacitive touch sensing

A method for docking an autonomous mobile floor cleaning robot with a charging dock, the robot including a receiver coil and a structured light sensor, the charging dock including a docking bay and a transmitter coil, includes: positioning the robot in a prescribed docked position in the docking bay using the structured light sensor and by sensing a magnetic field emanating from the transmitter coil; and thereafter induction charging the robot using the receiver coil and the transmitter coil with the robot in the docked position.

Autonomous robot auto-docking and energy management systems and methods

A robotic vehicle (A,BC,A,B,C) includes a chassis () having front and rear ends (A,A,B,B) and supported on right and left driven tracks (). Right and left elongated flippers () are disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot. A linkage () connects a payload deck assembly (D,D,D), configured to support a removable functional payload, to the chassis. The linkage has a first end (A) rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot (), and a second end (B) rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot (). Both of the first and second pivots include independently controllable pivot drivers () operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots () to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck (D,D,D) with respect to the chassis ().

Robotic vehicle

A robotic vehicle (A,BC,A,B,C) includes a chassis () having front and rear ends (A,A,B,B) and supported on right and left driven tracks (). Right and left elongated flippers () are disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot. A linkage () connects a payload deck assembly (DDD), configured to support a removable functional payload, to the chassis. The linkage has a first end (A) rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot (), and a second end (B) rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot (). Both of the first and second pivots include independently controllable pivot drivers () operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots () to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck (DDD) with respect to the chassis ().

A robotic vehicle including a chassis having front and rear ends, an electric power source supported by the chassis, and multiple drive assemblies supporting the chassis. Each drive assembly including a track trained about a corresponding drive wheel and a drive control module. The drive control module including a drive control housing, a drive motor carried by the drive control housing and operable to drive the track, and a drive motor controller in communication with the drive motor. The drive motor controller including a motor controller logic circuit and an amplifier commutator in communication with the drive motor and the motor controller logic circuit and is capable of delivering both amplified and reduced voltage to the drive motor from the power source. In one instance, the drive control module is separately and independently removable from a receptacle of the chassis as a complete unit.

Robotic vehicle with dynamic range actuators

A robotic vehicle (A,BC,A, includes a chassis () having front and rear ends (A,A,B,B) and supported on right and left driven tracks (). Right and left elongated flippers () are disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot. A linkage () connects a payload deck assembly (D,D,D), configured to support a removable functional payload, to the chassis. The linkage has a first end (A) rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot (), and a second end (B) rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot (). Both of the first and second pivots include independently controllable pivot drivers () operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots () to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck (D,D,D) with respect to the chassis ().

A robotic vehicle is disclosed, which is characterized by high mobility, adaptability, and the capability of being remotely controlled in hazardous environments. The robotic vehicle includes a chassis having front and rear ends and supported on right and left driven tracks. Right and left elongated flippers are disposed on corresponding sides of the chassis and operable to pivot. A linkage connects a payload deck, configured to support a removable functional payload, to the chassis. The linkage has a first end rotatably connected to the chassis at a first pivot, and a second end rotatably connected to the deck at a second pivot. Both of the first and second pivots include independently controllable pivot drivers operable to rotatably position their corresponding pivots to control both fore-aft position and pitch orientation of the payload deck with respect to the chassis.

A mobile robot includes a chassis defining at least one chassis volume and first and second sets of right and left driven flippers associated with the chassis. Each flipper has a drive wheel and defines a flipper volume adjacent to the drive wheel. The first set of flippers is disposed between the second set of flippers and the chassis. Motive power elements are distributed among the chassis volume and the flipper volumes. The motive power elements include a battery assembly, a main drive motor assembly, and a load shifting motor assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Newton, MA, United States of America

John P O'Brien