METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF A SURFACE BY AN AUTONOMOUS ROBOT
First Claim
1. A mobile device configured to navigate a surface, the mobile device comprisinga movement mechanism configured to move the mobile device from a first pose comprising a first location and a first orientation to a second pose comprising a second location and a second orientation;
- a mapping module configured to update a map representing data about the surface, the map associating locations with one or more properties, the properties comprising properties sufficient to indicate “
unexplored”
, “
traversed”
, “
edge”
, and “
occupied”
;
an initialization module configured to establish an initial pose comprising an initial location and an initial orientation;
a first region-covering module configured to cause the movement mechanism to move the mobile device so as to cover a first region defined at least in part based on at least one component of the initial pose and further configured to cause the mapping module to update the map;
a second region-covering module configured to cause the movement mechanism to move the mobile device so as to cover respective of at least one additional regions and to cause the mapping module to update the map, wherein the first region and the at least one additional regions are non-overlapping;
an edge-following module configured to identify one or more unfollowed edges, cause the movement mechanism to move the mobile device so as to follow respective unfollowed edges, cause the mapping module to mark followed edges as followed, and cause a third region-covering module to cause the movement mechanism to move the mobile device so as to cover one or more edge-discovered regions if such regions are discovered.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A robot configured to navigate a surface, the robot comprising a movement mechanism; a logical map representing data about the surface and associating locations with one or more properties observed during navigation; an initialization module configured to establish an initial pose comprising an initial location and an initial orientation; a region covering module configured to cause the robot to move so as to cover a region; an edge-following module configured to cause the robot to follow unfollowed edges; a control module configured to invoke region covering on a first region defined at least in part based at least part of the initial pose, to invoke region covering on least one additional region, to invoke edge-following, and to invoke region covering cause the mapping module to mark followed edges as followed, and cause a third region covering on regions discovered during edge-following.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A mobile device configured to navigate a surface, the mobile device comprising
a movement mechanism configured to move the mobile device from a first pose comprising a first location and a first orientation to a second pose comprising a second location and a second orientation; -
a mapping module configured to update a map representing data about the surface, the map associating locations with one or more properties, the properties comprising properties sufficient to indicate “
unexplored”
, “
traversed”
, “
edge”
, and “
occupied”
;an initialization module configured to establish an initial pose comprising an initial location and an initial orientation; a first region-covering module configured to cause the movement mechanism to move the mobile device so as to cover a first region defined at least in part based on at least one component of the initial pose and further configured to cause the mapping module to update the map; a second region-covering module configured to cause the movement mechanism to move the mobile device so as to cover respective of at least one additional regions and to cause the mapping module to update the map, wherein the first region and the at least one additional regions are non-overlapping; an edge-following module configured to identify one or more unfollowed edges, cause the movement mechanism to move the mobile device so as to follow respective unfollowed edges, cause the mapping module to mark followed edges as followed, and cause a third region-covering module to cause the movement mechanism to move the mobile device so as to cover one or more edge-discovered regions if such regions are discovered. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for navigating a surface with a mobile device, the method comprising:
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defining a reference frame using a computing device, based on at least a component of a first pose of a mobile device on a surface having one or more borders and containing one or more obstacles, the first pose comprising a first position and a first orientation; exploring, by the mobile device, a first region of the surface, the first region determined based at least in part on a component of the first pose; exploring, by the mobile device, at least one first additional region of the surface after exploring the first region; maintaining a map of information about the surface in computer readable memory, wherein at least a portion of the information is obtained by exploring the first region and the additional region; and perimeter-following one or more unfollowed perimeter portions when analysis of the map indicates one or more unfollowed perimeter portions exists by; navigating the mobile device to a first position on a first perimeter portion that is unfollowed; following the first perimeter portion, relying at least in part on one or more sensors to determine how to follow the first perimeter portion; updating the map to indicate that the followed first perimeter portion is followed; and updating the map with additional information about one or more locations traversed while following the first perimeter portion; and exploring unexplored second additional surface regions discovered while perimeter-following; wherein exploring a region comprises; navigating the mobile device in the region; updating the map to indicate one or more discovered perimeters, perimeters comprising surface borders and obstacle boundaries, when such are identified; and updating the map to indicate that traversed portions of the surface have been explored. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification