A mobile cleaning robot system can include a mobile cleaning robot and processing circuitry. The mobile cleaning robot can include a camera and can be operable to clean a floor surface of an environment. The processing circuitry can be in communication with the mobile cleaning robot and the camera, the processing circuitry configured to produce an image output based on an optical field of view of the camera. The processing circuitry can also detect a visual fiducial in the image output and can determine a behavior modification based on the visual fiducial. The processing circuitry can modify movement of the mobile cleaning robot based on the behavior modification.

The present application discloses a method and device for updating a map. The method for updating a map according to the present embodiment includes: in a process of movement of a robot, when it is detected that an actual environment is different from an environment that is indicated by a global map that has already been established, starting up map updating, and establishing an initial local map; determining a locating point according to acquired sensor data and the global map, and optimizing the initial local map according to the locating point, to obtain an optimized local map; and covering a corresponding area of the global map by using the optimized local map, to complete updating of the global map. The embodiments of the present application improve the locating accuracy, ensure the speed and efficiency of the map updating, and save time.

A map creation device includes a processor, and the processor is configured to execute a program to acquire an image captured by a camera mounted in a vehicle, estimate a first position indicating a position of the vehicle and an error of the first position based on information indicating a traveling state of the vehicle, estimate a second position indicating the position of the vehicle and an error of the second position based on radio waves transmitted from artificial satellites, set position information of the vehicle preferentially using one position with a smaller error of the first position and the second position, and create a map of places in which the vehicle has traveled based on the set position information of the vehicle and the image.

A map generation apparatus includes: an external situation detector configured to detect an external situation around a subject vehicle; and a microprocessor and a memory connected to the microprocessor. The microprocessor is configured to perform: extracting one or more feature points from an image indicated by a detection data acquired by the external situation detector; estimating a moving amount of the external situation detector accompanying the movement of the subject vehicle based on the image indicated by the detection data; specifying a region in the image used for estimation of the moving amount in the estimating; and generating a map information using one or more feature points corresponding to the region specified in the specifying among the feature points extracted in the extracting.

A system for an autonomous vehicle by providing lane markers on the road for which a vehicle will read and navigate the road. The vehicle transmits a discovery signal and is returned from the marker to indicate the position on the road and how to proceed on the road. The system uses either an autonomous control system or 3D map navigation database to determine the direction of the vehicle in real time.

A system and method for the classification of geographic locations based on vehicle trip logs, including: grouping a plurality of trip records by vehicle, wherein the plurality of trip records include start times and locations and stop times and locations; sorting the plurality of trip records for a vehicle in one of descending or ascending order with respect to stop times; calculating a plurality of time differences between consecutive trips of the plurality of trip records; storing the plurality of time differences in a stop time array; for a first plurality of time differences, storing the associated stop locations in a first location array; for a second plurality of stop times, storing the associated stop locations in a second location array; and computing a time difference median for each of the first location array and the second location array and returning the time difference medians as results for each location.

The invention relates to a method for generating a surroundings map (14) of a surrounding area (7) of a motor vehicle (1) in which an object in the surrounding area (7) is detected by means of a sensor device (9) of the motor vehicle (1), a position value (P) that describes a position of the object is determined on the basis of sensor data of the sensor device (9) by means of a control device (3) of the motor vehicle (1) and the determined position value (P) is transferred into the surroundings map (14), wherein a vector (v′) between the object and a predetermined reference point (11) of the motor vehicle (1) that forms an origin (0′) of a vehicle coordinate system (12) is determined, the determined vector (v′) is transformed from the vehicle coordinate system (12) into a global coordinate system (13) of the surroundings map (14) and the position value (P) in the surroundings map (14) is determined on the basis of the transformed vector (v).

The invention relates to a localisation and mapping method used by a mobile vehicle in an environment, said method comprising the following steps: the determination of the type of an object located in an area of the environment, on the basis of the data received from an on-board sensor in the mobile vehicle; and implementation of a localisation algorithm using detection data, without taking into account the detection data relating to said area or said object when the determined type is a type of mobile object.

A method for utilizing a trip history of a vehicle during a trip from an original position to a destination includes: (a) determining the original position; (b) comparing the original position to a mapping database covering the trip; (c) determining a road segment of the mapping database associated to the original position; (d) determining a current position during the trip; (e) comparing the current position to the mapping database; (f) determining a road segment of the mapping database associated to the current position; (g) setting the road segment as a link of the trip; (h) repeating (e)-(g) until the destination is reached; (i) determining the destination; (j) comparing the destination to the mapping database; (k) determining a road segment of the mapping database associated to the destination; and (l) representing the trip as connected links between the original position and destination, each link corresponding to a road segment.

The present technology provides systems, methods, and devices that can dynamically augment aspects of a map as an autonomous vehicle navigates a route, and therefore avoids the need for dispatching a special purpose mapping vehicle to keep navigating a route. As the autonomous vehicle navigates a route, the autonomous vehicle can determine that current data captured by at least one sensor of the autonomous vehicle describing a location is inconsistent with the primary map of the location. The autonomous vehicle can determine that a portion of the current data describes a second feature that is distinct from a first feature described by a primary map. The second feature can be added to an augmented map that is based on the primary map, and the position of the autonomous vehicle can be located with respect to the first feature rather than the second feature on the augmented map.