A robotic cleaner may include a body, an optical receiver, the optical receiver being configured to detect an optical signal generated by an external device, and an optical pattern generator configured to emit light according to an optical pattern that extends at least partially around the body, wherein, when the optical pattern intersects an obstacle, at least a portion of the light incident on the obstacle is reflected towards the optical receiver, the optical receiver being configured to detect the reflected light.

An extractor includes a fluid recovery system including a suction nozzle, a recovery tank assembly, and a suction source having an inlet fluidly connected to the recovery tank assembly and the suction nozzle through an air conduit and adapted to draw liquid through the suction nozzle and deposit the liquid in the recovery tank assembly. The extractor includes a body provided with the air conduit for movement between a first position wherein suction is unreduced and a second position wherein suction is reduced. The extractor includes a fluid delivery system including a solution supply tank assembly, a fluid distributor, and a conduit for depositing fluid onto a surface. The extractor includes a hydraulic connector operably coupled to the body and adapted to move the body between the first and second positions.

The embodiment of the present disclosure provides a robot control method, a robot and a storage medium. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the robot determines a position when the robot is released from being hijacked based on relocalization operation; determines a task execution area according to environmental information around the position when the robot is released from being hijacked; and afterwards executes a task within the task execution area. Thus, the robot may flexibly determine the task execution area according to the environment in which the robot is released from being hijacked, without returning to the position when the robot is hijacked, to continue to execute the task, then acting according to local conditions is realized and the user requirements may be met as much as possible.

Retrofit box systems to maximize operational capacity of inaccessible floors are described. The retrofit box system includes a gate complex that provides fluid communication between an inaccessible floor and a box, and a box to deliver a cleaner to the inaccessible floor and adapted for equalizing pressure when the inaccessible floor is under water while minimizing waste seepage from the retrofit box system. The retrofit box system further includes a power system and a control system to deliver the cleaner to the inaccessible floor and remove waste from the inaccessible floor and the box.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a robot and a control method therefor. In the robot control method, a robot may acquire posture data of a user in response to a posture interaction wakeup instruction, determine a target operation region according to the posture data of the user, and in case that the target operation region is different from a region that a current position of the robot belongs to, move to the target operation region so as to perform a set operation task. Further, the robot implements operations while moving based on user postures without the limitation of region division, thereby further improving the robot control flexibility.

Provided are a robot cleaner and a method for controlling the same, which are capable of determining the presence or absence of a liquid based on an image captured by a camera. The robot cleaner includes a cleaner body including a traveling part, a camera provided on one surface of the cleaner body and configured to acquire an image of surroundings of the cleaner body, and a controller provided in the cleaner body and configured to control the traveling part. The controller is configured to divide an image acquired by the camera into a plurality of images with respect to a reference line, and determine the presence or absence of a liquid based on two or more images among the plurality of divided images.

A robot cleaner and a control method thereof are disclosed. A robot cleaner, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a tilt sensor module; a distance sensor module; and a light amount sensor module. Each piece of sensed information is transmitted to a lifting information calculation module. The lifting information calculation module calculates information on whether the robot cleaner is lifted, by using each piece of the transmitted information. If it is calculated that the robot cleaner is lifted off a floor, a power module is stopped. In addition, if it is calculated that the robot cleaner is not lifted off the floor, the power module is driven. Accordingly, when a user lifts the robot cleaner, injuries to the user caused by operation of a drive module can be prevented.

A robot vacuum cleaner and a control method therefor are disclosed. A robot vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an acceleration change sensor module and a distance sensor module. Each piece of detected information is transmitted to an obstacle-passing information calculation module. The obstacle-passing information calculation module uses each piece of transmitted information so as to calculate information about whether an obstacle is present on one side of the robot vacuum cleaner and information about whether the robot vacuum cleaner can pass the obstacle on the one side. When the inability of the robot vacuum cleaner to pass the obstacle on the one side is calculated, a power module is driven so that the robot vacuum cleaner avoids the obstacle. Therefore, the robot vacuum cleaner can be prevented from going on an obstacle such as a carpet. In addition, the robot vacuum cleaner can be prevented from passing an obstacle such as a door sill so as not to leave a cleaning area.

A method for operating a cleaning device includes selecting a cleaning activity to be performed by the cleaning device via a communications interface of the cleaning device or of an external terminal, implementing at least one device setting or application of the cleaning device for performing the cleaning activity, and performing the cleaning activity with the implemented device setting and/or device application. An instruction for steps to be chronologically implemented by the user, which contain a device setting and/or device application, is transmitted to the user as a function of the selected cleaning activity. A control and evaluation unit monitors the actual implementation of the device setting and/or device application corresponding to the step to be currently implemented, and transmits a note to the user when the device setting and/or device application actually implemented deviates from a predefined reference for the device setting and/or device application to be implemented.

A docking station, a mobile robot, and a mobile robot management method for controlling a docking station and a mobile robot are provided. The mobile robot includes a management method wherein, in order to display information associated with a docking station to an output device of a mobile robot or transmit the information to a user terminal device connected to the mobile robot, the mobile robot transmits, to the user terminal device, information received from the docking station.