The present invention is a mobile robot with an attached cleaning element and capable of autonomously seeking areas with low overhead clearance. In the preferred embodiment is a mobile robot using an array of upward facing distance sensors in communication with a controller to detect the presence of obstructions or surfaces above the apparatus. The controller directs the movements of the mobile robot through the use of a drive system, using pattern recognition to avoid becoming stuck and using random movements to increase floor coverage.

A surface maintenance machine is provided having a maintenance head assembly positioned substantially within an envelope of the machine. The maintenance head assembly has at least one maintenance tool attachable thereto. The machine also includes a tool eject mechanism positioned below an upper surface of the body. The tool eject mechanism can generate a drop force sufficient to overcome the force between the maintenance tool and the maintenance head assembly. The tool eject mechanism can have an eject button extending above the upper surface of the deck. The eject button can be actuable by at least a portion of the upper surface of the body of the machine when the maintenance head assembly is raised toward the upper surface of the body of the machine beyond a transport position into a tool eject position. When actuated, the tool eject mechanism can eject the maintenance tool from the maintenance head assembly

A floor cleaning machine having an intelligent system including a recovery tank sub-assembly, a vacuum fan sub-assembly, a solution tank sub-assembly, wherein the solution tank sub-assembly preferably includes a secondary electrochemical cell, a solution flow sub-assembly, a control console sub-assembly, a frame and wheel sub-assembly and/or a frame and transaxle sub-assembly, a scrub head sub-assembly, a scrub head lift sub-assembly, a squeegee sub-assembly, a solution flow sub-assembly, and an intelligent system associated with at least one of the above-identified sub-assemblies, wherein the intelligent system at least one of selectively gathers, obtains, monitors, stores, records, and analyzes data associated with components of the floor cleaning machine assembly, and at least one of controllably communicates and disseminates such data with at least one of another system and user.

A surface cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning head adapted to move over a surface to be cleaned, a housing coupled with the cleaning head, a first user interface on the housing, and a second user interface on the cleaning head. The first user interface includes at least one user input control. The second user interface includes a plurality of status indicia.

Systems and methods for robotic path planning are disclosed. In some implementations of the present disclosure, a robot can generate a cost map associated with an environment of the robot. The cost map can comprise a plurality of pixels each corresponding to a location in the environment, where each pixel can have an associated cost. The robot can further generate a plurality of masks having projected path portions for the travel of the robot within the environment, where each mask comprises a plurality of mask pixels that correspond to locations in the environment. The robot can then determine a mask cost associated with each mask based at least in part on the cost map and select a mask based at least in part on the mask cost. Based on the projected path portions within the selected mask, the robot can navigate a space.

A robot cleaner includes a main body, a water tank including a turbidity sensor and a water level sensor, and a pair of rotary mops configured to move the main body while rotating in contact with a floor. A drive motor rotates the pair of rotary mops and a nozzle supplies water from the water tank to the rotary mop. A rotary mop controller varies an output current of the drive motor based on signals from the water tank sensors. A controller determines whether the water tank is contaminated based on the output current of the drive motor received from the rotary mop controller.

A surface cleaner includes a suction source that generates a suction airflow to draw liquid-laden air along a fluid flow path from a dirty air inlet to a recovery tank. The recovery tank includes a chamber for storing liquid, an inlet along the fluid flow path, an outlet aperture along the fluid flow path, and a float having an indicator. An inflow path upstream of the inlet connects the dirty air inlet to the recovery tank. The float moves between a first position spaced away from the outlet aperture allowing air to exit the recovery tank along the fluid flow path, and a second position adjacent the outlet aperture obstructing the fluid flow path. The indicator is visible to a user when the float is in the second position.

A mobile cleaner includes a body, a mop module, and a sweep module. The mop module includes a pair of spin mops configured to rotate and mop a surface. The sweep module is configured to sweep up foreign material on the surface using a rotating agitator. The sweep module includes a dust housing, the agitator, and a wheel assembly. The wheel assembly is configured to support the dust housing on the surface and includes a wheel body that is movable in a vertical direction. A cliff sensor is configured to detect movement of the wheel body.

A floor cleaner includes an electrically powered component and a switch. The switch includes a button including an actuator surface. A fluid channel is formed by a fluid collection surface disposed below the button and an outer channel wall extending upwardly from the fluid collection surface, the fluid channel having a fluid outlet. A projection of the button is received in an inner button aperture formed by an inner wall extending from the fluid collection surface forming a bushing around the projection. The inner wall inhibits flow of fluid from the fluid channel through the inner button aperture. The outer channel wall surrounds the aperture wall such that fluid entering the body between the perimeter of the button actuator surface and the aperture wall is collected by the fluid channel and directed to the fluid outlet.

The present disclosure provides a surface cleaning apparatus that mechanically removes liquid and debris from a brushroll and stores the mechanically-removed liquid and debris onboard the apparatus in a first collection area. The surface cleaning apparatus also collects further liquid and debris from the brushroll by a source of suction including a vacuum motor or a pump and stores the collected liquid and debris onboard the apparatus in a second collection area.