A method of operating a mobile robot includes generating a segmentation map defining respective regions of a surface based on occupancy data that is collected by a mobile robot responsive to navigation of the surface, identifying sub-regions of at least one of the respective regions as non-clutter and clutter areas, and computing a coverage pattern based on identification of the sub-regions. The coverage pattern indicates a sequence for navigation of the non-clutter and clutter areas, and is provided to the mobile robot. Responsive to the coverage pattern, the mobile robot sequentially navigates the non-clutter and clutter areas of the at least one of the respective regions of the surface in the sequence indicated by the coverage pattern. Related methods, computing devices, and computer program products are also discussed.

A method of operating a mobile robot includes generating a segmentation map defining respective regions of a surface based on occupancy data that is collected by a mobile robot responsive to navigation of the surface, identifying sub-regions of at least one of the respective regions as non-clutter and clutter areas, and computing a coverage pattern based on identification of the sub-regions. The coverage pattern indicates a sequence for navigation of the non-clutter and clutter areas, and is provided to the mobile robot. Responsive to the coverage pattern, the mobile robot sequentially navigates the non-clutter and clutter areas of the at least one of the respective regions of the surface in the sequence indicated by the coverage pattern. Related methods, computing devices, and computer program products are also discussed.

Methods and systems for communicating between autonomous vehicles are described herein. Such communication may be performed for signaling, collision avoidance, path coordination, and/or autonomous control. A computing device may receive data for the same road segment from autonomous vehicles, including (i) an indication of a location within the road segment, and (ii) an indication of a condition of the road segment. The computing device may generate, from the data for the same road segment, an overall indication of the condition of the road segment, which may include a recommendation to vehicles approaching the road segment. Additionally, the computing device may receive a request from a computing device within a vehicle approaching the road segment to display vehicle data. The overall indication for the road segment may then be displayed on a user interface of the computing device.

A remote vehicle control system includes a vehicle mounted sensor system including a video camera system for producing video data and a distance mapping sensor system for producing distance map data. A data handling system is used to compress and transmit both the video and distance map data over a cellular network using feed forward correction. A virtual control system acts to receive the video and distance map data, while providing a user with a live video stream supported by distance map data. Based on user actions, control instructions can be sent to the vehicle mounted sensor system and the remote vehicle over the cellular network.

Disclosed is a visual and spatial programming system for robot navigation and robot-IoT task authoring. Programmable mobile robots serve as binding agents to link stationary IoT devices and perform collaborative tasks. Three key elements of robot task planning (human-robot-IoT) are coherently connected with one single smartphone device. Users can perform visual task authoring in an analogous manner to the real tasks that they would like the robot to perform with using an augmented reality interface. The mobile device mediates interactions between the user, robot(s), and IoT device-oriented tasks, guiding the path planning execution with Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) to enable robust room-scale navigation and interactive task authoring.

A pool cleaning system for cleaning debris from a submerged surface of a swimming pool includes a self-propelled pool cleaner having rotatably-mounted supports for supporting and guiding the cleaner on the pool surface; an electric motor for enabling the rotation of the rotatably-mounted supports on the pool surface; at least one camera to capture imagery of the pool surface; a controller, in electronic communication with the at least one camera, to determine a cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface on which the cleaner has passed based on the camera imagery and generate a control signal to direct movement of the cleaner based on the cleanliness characteristic of the pool surface, and a portable electronic device configured to present a graphic on a display, the graphic depicting the submerged surface of the pool and those portions of the surface that remain uncleaned as the cleaner traverses the pool surface.

A vehicle-mounted device includes vehicle information detecting unit for detecting an on/off state of vehicle power, relay input/output unit for controlling an external relay configured to make a switch between a starting-disabled state and a starting-enabled state of a vehicle, and vehicle information-associated control unit for controlling the external relay based on a relay control command. The vehicle information-associated control unit controls the external relay based on an elapsed time since a change in the on/off state of vehicle power detected by the vehicle information detecting unit.

Included is a surface cleaning service system including: one or more robotic surface cleaning devices, each including: a chassis; a set of wheels; one or more motors to drive the wheels; one or more processors; one or more sensors; and a network interface card, wherein the one or more processors of each of the one or more robotic surface cleaning devices determine respective usage data. A control system or the one or more processors of each of the one or more robotic surface cleaning devices is configured to associate each usage data with a particular corresponding robotic surface cleaning device of the one or more robotic surface cleaning devices.

A terminal apparatus includes a camera, a display that displays a display screen including a mobile robot that autonomously travels, and a control circuit. The control circuit acquires a first planned route of the mobile robot, displays, on the display, a screen having the first planned route superimposed on a camera image taken by the camera, detects a contact point on the display on which the screen is displayed, generates a second planned route of the mobile robot that travels through the contact point, and transmits the second planned route to the mobile robot.

Disclosed are autonomous vehicles that may autonomously navigate at least a portion of a route defined by a service request allocator. The autonomous vehicle may, at a certain portion of the route, request remote assistance. In response to the request, an operator may provide input to a console that indicates control positions for one or more vehicle controls such as steering position, brake position, and/or accelerator position. A command is sent to the autonomous vehicle indicating how the vehicle should proceed along the route. When the vehicle reaches a location where remote assistance is no longer required, the autonomous vehicle is released from manual control and may then continue executing the route under autonomous control.