A robotic device comprising: an energy storage device; and a controller configured to determine whether a quantity of energy stored in the energy storage device is below a predetermined energy level, wherein: the robotic device is configured to perform a cleaning task if the determined quantity of energy is not below the predetermined energy level; if the determined quantity of energy is below the predetermined energy level: the controller is configured to estimate a likelihood of the robotic device being capable of locating a recharging base station; and in dependence on the estimated likelihood, the robotic device is configured to seek the recharging base station or perform the cleaning task.

A method of operating a mobile robot includes generating a segmentation map defining respective regions of a surface based on occupancy data that is collected by a mobile robot responsive to navigation of the surface, identifying sub-regions of at least one of the respective regions as non-clutter and clutter areas, and computing a coverage pattern based on identification of the sub-regions. The coverage pattern indicates a sequence for navigation of the non-clutter and clutter areas, and is provided to the mobile robot. Responsive to the coverage pattern, the mobile robot sequentially navigates the non-clutter and clutter areas of the at least one of the respective regions of the surface in the sequence indicated by the coverage pattern. Related methods, computing devices, and computer program products are also discussed.

Methods and systems are described for communicating action instructions between a home automation system and a mobile robotic device. In some embodiments, methods may comprise receiving, from a first device, information regarding a delivery of a package to a first location, determining that a mobile robotic device and the first device are part of a predetermined group of devices operating in a neighborhood network, transporting, by the mobile robotic device, the package to a drop-off location, and initiating a notification for the first device based at least in part on transporting the package.

Disclosed is a cleaning unit comprising a variable brush portion. The cleaning unit according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a shaft capable of reciprocating along an axial direction, wherein a first cam protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the shaft. In addition, the brush portion is arranged on the outer circumferential surface of a body member surrounding the shaft, and the brush portion includes a second cam engaged with the first cam. When the shaft is moved in the axial direction, the first cam pushes the second cam in a radial direction, whereby the brush portion may protrude in the radial direction. That is, as the shaft reciprocates in the axial direction, the length of the brush portion protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the body member may vary.

Provided are a robot cleaner using an artificial intelligence (AI) and/or machine learning algorithm in a 5G environment connected for the Internet of Things and a method for determining a cleaning path of a robot cleaner. The method for determining a cleaning path includes detecting an obstacle, identifying a type of the obstacle based on the image signal, generating a cleaning map including information on the identified obstacle, providing the cleaning map to a user terminal, receiving an input of a cleaning pattern for an area of the obstacle from the user terminal, and determining a cleaning path including the cleaning pattern for the area of the obstacle.

A debris monitoring system includes a receptacle, a first and a second emitter, and a first receiver. The receptacle defines an opening to receive debris into the receptacle. The first and second emitter are each arranged to emit a signal across at least a portion of the opening. The first receiver is proximate to the first emitter to receive reflections of the signal emitted by the first emitter, and the first receiver is disposed toward the opening to receive an unreflected portion of the signal emitted by the second emitter across at least a portion of the opening.

A method of operating a mobile cleaning robot can include receiving a privacy mode setting from a user interface, where the privacy mode setting can be based on a user selection between at least two different privacy mode settings for determining whether to operate the mobile cleaning robot in an image-capture-restricted mode. An image stream of an image capture device of the mobile cleaning robot can be permitted in an absence of a user-selection of a more restrictive one of the privacy settings. At least a portion of the image stream can be restricted or disabled based at least in part on a user-selection of a more restrictive one of the privacy settings.

A cleaner that includes: a main body; a suction assembly; and a coupling hose, wherein the main body includes: an air suctioning device, a case, a driving motor that is coupled to a first surface of the case and that is configured to generate driving force, a traveling wheel that is coupled to the first surface of the case and that is configured to rotate based on driving force generated by the driving motor, a motor cover that is configured to cover the driving motor such that the driving motor is located in a space between the first surface of the case and the motor cover, a rotating shaft that is coupled to the driving motor and that is configured to transfer driving force generated by the driving motor to the traveling wheel, and a coupling unit that couples the rotating shaft to the traveling wheel is disclosed.

In order to achieve the objective of the present disclosure, a robot cleaner for performing autonomous navigation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a main body; a driving unit for moving the main body; an ultrasonic sensor for sensing a distance between the main body and an obstacle; and a controller for controlling the driving unit by using an output value of the ultrasonic sensor, wherein the ultrasonic sensor comprises: a transmitting unit, installed at one point on the outer surface of the main body, for emitting ultrasonic waves in a predetermined direction; a plurality of receivers, installed at positions spaced apart from the transmitting unit by a predetermined distance on the outer surface of the main body, for receiving ultrasonic waves reflected by the obstacle after being emitted from the transmitting unit; and an electrical signaling unit for electrically connecting at least one of the plurality of receivers to the transmitting unit.

A method for operating or interacting with a mobile robot includes determining, using at least one processor, a mapping between a first coordinate system associated with a mobile device and a second coordinate system associated with the mobile robot, in which the first coordinate system is different from the second coordinate system. The method includes providing at the mobile device a user interface to enable a user to interact with the mobile robot in which the interaction involves usage of the mapping between the first coordinate system and the second coordinate system.