A floor cleaning system includes a mobile, self-driving apparatus and a portable additional apparatus for a user. The self-driving apparatus, in particular, is a cleaning apparatus for autonomous treatment of floor areas, such as a vacuuming robot and/or sweeping robot and/or wiping robot. The user apparatus has an operating unit, a communication unit, and a position detection unit. Using the position detection unit, the user defines the floor area to be cleaned in that the user walks, with the additional apparatus, along a cleaning path or delimiting path that can be transmitted to the mobile, self-driving apparatus in order for the mobile, self-driving apparatus to clean along the cleaning path or to clean the floor area included within the delimiting path in accordance with a cleaning request. There is also described a method for the automatic treatment of floor areas with the aid of the floor cleaning system.

Disclosed are a robot cleaner capable of controlling a water pump of a robot cleaner by a user input through an external control device, a robot cleaning system having the same, and a control method of the robot cleaning system. According to the present invention, user convenience is increased since the amount of water supplied to the mop of the robot cleaner can be controlled according to a cleaning environment, cleaning efficiency is improved by controlling the water pump to quickly wet the mop of the robot cleaner at the beginning of a cleaning operation, and the robot cleaner can be hygienically managed since a user controls the water pump to discharge residual water inside the robot cleaner.

Provided is a robot cleaner that travels along a virtual traveling line connecting a start point to a predetermined target point in a straight line. The robot cleaner includes a body having formed therein a space for accommodating a battery, a water container, and a motor, and a pair of rotation plates that have coupled to lower sides thereof, mopping cloths facing a floor surface, and are rotatably disposed on a bottom surface of the body, in which when a shortest distance between the body and the traveling line is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference distance, rotation speeds of the pair of rotation plates are different from each other.

Disclosed are a robot cleaner and a method for controlling same, and the method for controlling a robot cleaner, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a floor mapping step in which a robot cleaner drives in an area to be cleaned and collects information about the floor surface; a cleaning planning step in which a cleaning plan of the robot cleaner is determined on the basis of the collected information about the floor surface; and a robot control step in which, once the cleaning plan is determined, the robot cleaner is controlled to drive and clean according to the cleaning plan.

Disclosed are a robot cleaner and a method for controlling same, and the method for controlling a robot cleaner, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a floor mapping step in which a robot cleaner drives in an area to be cleaned and collects information about the floor surface; a cleaning planning step in which a cleaning plan of the robot cleaner is determined on the basis of the collected information about the floor surface; and a robot control step in which, once the cleaning plan is determined, the robot cleaner is controlled to drive and clean according to the cleaning plan.

An autonomous cleaning robot includes a drive operable to move the autonomous cleaning robot across a floor surface; a cleaning assembly configured to clean the floor surface; a receiver configured to receive an indication of cat activity in a cat box; and a controller configured to navigate the autonomous cleaning robot to the cat box to execute a cleaning mission in response to the received indication of cat activity.

An autonomous cleaning robot includes a drive operable to move the autonomous cleaning robot across a floor surface; a cleaning assembly configured to clean the floor surface; a receiver configured to receive an indication of cat activity in a cat box; and a controller configured to navigate the autonomous cleaning robot to the cat box to execute a cleaning mission in response to the received indication of cat activity.

A cleaning robot, includes a body provided with a dust box, a water tank, a cleaning unit disposed at a bottom of the body, a water outlet mechanism outputting liquid in the water tank through the water discharge pipeline and a water discharge pipeline independently disposed outside the water tank and at least partially located directly below the dust box, so that the capacity of the water tank is increased, without requiring adding water frequently, thereby prolonging the time of operation, the layout of various parts in the body is more compact and feasible, a longer water discharge pipeline enables the corresponding cleaning unit to be made larger, by which a working area of the robot is expanded and the working efficiency is enhanced, the probability for damage is reduced, and the service life of the machine is prolonged.

A cleaning robot, includes a body provided with a dust box, a water tank, a cleaning unit disposed at a bottom of the body, a water outlet mechanism outputting liquid in the water tank through the water discharge pipeline and a water discharge pipeline independently disposed outside the water tank and at least partially located directly below the dust box, so that the capacity of the water tank is increased, without requiring adding water frequently, thereby prolonging the time of operation, the layout of various parts in the body is more compact and feasible, a longer water discharge pipeline enables the corresponding cleaning unit to be made larger, by which a working area of the robot is expanded and the working efficiency is enhanced, the probability for damage is reduced, and the service life of the machine is prolonged.

A surface maintenance machine includes a body, a surface maintenance tool coupled to the body, processing circuitry supported at the body, and a light projection mechanism supported at the body and coupled to the processing circuitry. The light projection mechanism includes a light housing, a light emitting element within the light housing, and a projection lens that is configured to focus light emanating from the light emitting element. The light projection mechanism is configured to project light onto a ceiling surface that is above a floor surface along which the surface maintenance machine is configured to perform a surface maintenance task using the surface maintenance tool.