A control method of an autonomous mobile robot comprises: receiving a dock signal and executing a control program according to the dock signal. The control program includes detecting a first guiding signal, a second guiding signal and a third guiding signal transmitted by the charging station via the first sensing unit, the second sensing unit and the third sensing unit, sensing a measured distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the charging station when the second guiding signal is detected by the second sensing unit, and the autonomous mobile robot moves toward the charging station or away from the charging station according to the measured distance and a first threshold, and re-executing the control program.

Provided is an electric cleaning device capable of easily and reliably directing a camera toward an object and imaging the object. An electric cleaning device includes an electric vacuum cleaner main body capable of autonomously traveling, and a charging device that guides the electric vacuum cleaner main body, and can image an object. A control part has an imaging mode in which the control part makes a main body case travel so as to approach the charging device in line with guide signals received by a light receiving part, and performs imaging in a set direction with a camera based on the guide signals when the main body case reaches a position at a predetermined distance from the charging device.

A robot cleaner of the present disclosure comprises a main body configured to travel in a cleaning zone and to suction a foreign substance on a floor in the cleaning zone, an image sensor provided on the main body and configured to obtain an image of a predetermined area at a front side of the main body, a first light source provided on the main body and configured to emit a first pattern of light to a first sub-area of the predetermined area and a second light source provided on the main body at a position below the first light source and configured to emit a second pattern of light to a second sub-area of the predetermined area, the first sub-area being located lower than the second sub-area.

A mobile robot of the present disclosure includes a first pattern emission unit configured to emit a first patterned light downward and forward from the main body on a floor of an area to be cleaned; and an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an image of first patterned light emitted by the first pattern emission unit and incident on an obstacle. A pattern is detected from the acquired image to determine an obstacle, and a cliff is detected based on at least one of a shape or a position of the pattern in the image. The mobile robot may identify a travel path that does not lead to the cliff.

Provided is a process executed by a robot, including: traversing, to a first position, a first distance in a backward direction; after traversing the first distance, rotating in a first rotation; after the first rotation, traversing, to a second position, a second distance in a third direction; after traversing the second distance, rotating 180 degrees in a second rotation such that the field of view of the sensor points in a fourth direction; after the second rotation, traversing, to a third position, a third distance in the fourth direction; after traversing the second distance, rotating 180 degrees in a third rotation such that the field of view of the sensor points in the third direction; and after the third rotation, traversing, to a fourth position, a fourth distance in the third direction.

The present disclosure relates to a cleaner system including: a cleaner; a cleaner station; and an imaginary plane including an imaginary suction flow path through line penetrating a suction flow path in a longitudinal direction and an imaginary suction motor axis defined by extending a rotation axis of a suction motor, in which when the cleaner is coupled to the cleaner station, the plane penetrates at least a part of the cleaner station, such that a center of gravity of the cleaner is disposed to pass through a space for maintaining balance of the station, and as a result, it is possible to stably support the cleaner and the station while preventing the cleaner and the station from falling down.

A mobile robot of the present disclosure emits a first patterned light downward and forward from a main body on a floor of an area to be cleaned and a second patterned light upward and forward from the main body, determines an obstacle based on an image of each emitted patterned light which is incident on the obstacle, and senses a tilt of the main body to compensate for the tilt. In this manner, an obstacle may be determined accurately, and after the tilt compensation, redetermination is made as to whether it is possible to pass through, so as to enable the mobile robot to pass through or bypass the obstacle. Accordingly, the mobile robot may reach a wider area to be cleaned, thereby extending the area that may be cleaned, and enabling fast determination and operation for effective traveling, such that the mobile robot may escape from an obstacle without being limited thereby.

A robot cleaner comprising: a cleaner body including a wheel unit and a controller controlling driving of the wheel unit; a suction unit disposed to protrude from the cleaner body, the suction unit sucking air containing dust; and a sensing unit disposed at the front of the cleaner body in which the suction unit is disposed, wherein at least one portion of the sensing unit is disposed to overlap with the suction unit in the top-bottom direction of the cleaner body.

A autonomous cleaner includes: a cleaner body including a wheel unit for autonomous traveling; a suction unit provided to protrude from one side of the cleaner body, the suction unit sucking air containing dust; a sensing unit provided at the one side of the cleaner body; a dust container accommodated in a dust container accommodation part formed at the other side of the cleaner body, the dust container collecting dust filtered from sucked air; and a dust container cover hinge-coupled to the cleaner body to be rotatable, the dust container cover being provided to cover a top surface of the dust container when the dust container cover is coupled to the dust container.

A method of controlling a robot cleaner includes recognizing information on a monitoring standby position by a robot cleaner, moving to the monitoring standby position at a monitoring start time by the robot cleaner, acquiring an image, by an image acquisition unit of the robot cleaner, at the monitoring standby position, determining whether an event has occurred, by the robot cleaner, based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit, transmitting the image acquired by the image acquisition unit to an external remote terminal when it is determined that the event occurred.