A method for preventing a robot from colliding with a charging base, including: step 1, during a process of moving in a current working area of the robot, detecting, in real time, a reception condition of a base avoidance signal of the robot within a received signal coverage range thereof; and step 2, establishing a safety area in the current working area according to a direction feature relationship between the base avoidance signal and a preset working path of the robot, and before establishing the safety area, according to an orientation relationship between the base avoidance signal and a direction of a current moving path of the robot, marking and establishing a danger area at a position that satisfies a collision avoidance relationship with a current position of the robot, so that the robot avoids the charging base during the process of moving in the current working area.

A mother-child robot cooperative work system and a work method thereof include a mother robot and a charging base0, in which the mother robot is provided with a control unit and a work unit. The system also includes child robot, communicatively coupled to the mother robot. The mother robot performs cleaning for a work area under the control of the control unit, and recognizes cleanable area and assisted cleaning area in a cleaning process. After cleaning work in the cleanable area is completed, the control unit in the mother robot controls the child robot to cooperatively complete the cleaning work in the assisted cleaning area. The mother robot is provided with a child robot pose sensing unit. The unit inputs child robot pose information to the control unit; and the control unit controls the child robot to act as indicated.

Disclosed is a method of controlling a plurality of robot cleaners, the method including a first step of docking a first robot cleaner and a second robot cleaner with a first docking device and a second docking device, respectively, a second step of checking whether the first robot cleaner is undocked from the first docking device, and a third step of if the first robot cleaner docked with the first docking device again, undocking the second robot cleaner from the second docking device.

An autonomous floor cleaner or floor cleaning robot can include an autonomously moveable housing and a drive system for autonomously moving the autonomously moveable housing over a surface to be cleaned based on inputs from a controller. A brush chamber and a debris receptacle can be formed as a unitary assembly removable from the autonomously moveable housing.

A liquid tank for a base station includes a first liquid storage structure and a second liquid storage structure. The second liquid storage structure is positioned in the first liquid storage structure. The second liquid storage structure is flexible and variable in volume. A space is defined between a structural wall of the first liquid storage structure and a structural wall of the second liquid storage structure and is configured to store liquid. The first liquid storage structure includes an anti-sticking structure. The anti-sticking structure is positioned on a bottom surface of the first liquid storage structure facing the second liquid storage structure.

Cleaning equipment includesa water divider structure comprisinga pressuresource connected to a water supply tank, a water divider provided with a first distribution channel and a second distribution channel, wherein the first and second distribution channels both are connected with the pressuresource, anda first unidirectional valve connecting between the pressuresource and the water divider, wherein the first unidirectional valve connects through the pressuresource and the water divider under pressure formed when the pressuresource is activated. When there is residual water in the pipeline between the first unidirectional valve and the water divider structure, the first unidirectionalvalve can prevent the water in the water supply tank from being transported downstream. At this time, there is water in the pipeline downstream of the first unidirectionalvalve. One end is closed, and one end of the water divider structure is connected to the outside.

A robotic system comprising a mobile robot including a body housing a rechargeable power source and first electrical contact means disposed on the body and a docking station including second electrical contact means, wherein the mobile robot is dockable on the docking station in order to charge the rechargeable power source. The first electrical contact means includes at least one electrical contact aligned on a first contact axis and the second electrical contact means includes at least one elongate contact, wherein when the robot is docked on the docking station such that electrical contact is established between the first electrical contact means and the electrical contact means. The at least one elongate contact extends in a direction that is transverse to the first contact axis which permits electrical contact to be established between the robot and the docking station while accommodating a degree of lateral and angular misalignment therebetween.

A docking station for an autonomous floor cleaner performs maintenance on the autonomous floor cleaner, including removing a mopping implement from the autonomous floor cleaner and/or installing a mopping implement on the autonomous floor cleaner. The docking station can further perform other maintenance services on the autonomous floor cleaner. An autonomous floor cleaning system including an autonomous floor cleaner and a docking station is also disclosed. Methods for servicing or performing maintenance on an autonomous floor cleaner by a docking station are also disclosed.

An autonomous coverage robot includes a chassis, a drive system configured to maneuver the robot, and a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly includes a cleaning assembly housing and at least one driven sweeper brush. The robot includes a controller and a removable sweeper bin configured to receive debris agitated by the driven sweeper brush. The sweeper bin includes an emitter disposed on an interior surface of the bin and a receiver disposed remotely from the emitter on the interior surface of the bin and configured to receive an emitter signal. The emitter and the receiver are disposed such that a threshold level of accumulation of debris in the sweeper bin blocks the receiver from receiving emitter emissions. The robot includes a bin controller disposed in the sweeper bin and monitoring a detector signal and initiating a bin full routine upon determining a bin debris accumulation level requiring service.

A method of managing a plurality of washrooms in a facility for servicing by service personnel and, more particularly, for establishing servicing operations which provide for service of at least selected of the dispensers before their consumable product supply falls below a pre-selected refill value.