A method for an autonomous robot to empty refuse. A sensor positioned on the robot captures sensor data of an environment of the robot as the robot navigates within the environment and a processor of the robot generates a map of the environment based on at least the sensor data. The processor receives a schedule for emptying refuse stored in a container of the robot at a refuse collection location from an application of a communication device. The processor determines a path of the robot from a storage location of the robot to the refuse collection location and actuates the robot to autonomously drive along the path according to the schedule.

A navigation control system on a material transfer vehicle includes a rough approach location system that identifies a rough location of a destination of the material transfer vehicle in order to perform an unloading operation. The rough location is provided to a path planning system which generates a path that the material transfer vehicle follows to the rough location. As the material transfer vehicle approaches the rough location, a set of on-board sensors sense a more precise location of a container that is to receive the material from the material transfer vehicle. The more precise location is provided to the path planning system which modifies the path based upon the more precise location. As the material transfer vehicle comes closer to the container, the precise approach system corrects the precise location of the container and provides the corrected precise location to the path planning system. The path planning system continues to correct the path based upon the additional precise container locations. A navigation system navigates the material transfer vehicle along the path generated by the path planning system.

A method for autonomously emptying refuse by a robot, comprising: capturing, with at least one sensor positioned on the robot, sensor data of an environment of the robot as the robot navigates within the environment; generating, with a processor of the robot, a map of the environment based on at least the captured sensor data; receiving, with the processor of the robot, a schedule for emptying refuse stored in a container on the robot at a refuse collection location from an application associated with the robot, the application executed on a computing device, wherein the schedule for emptying refuse comprises at least a day and a time; determining, with the processor of the robot, a path of the robot from the refuse collection location; and actuating, with the processor of the robot, the robot to drive along the determined path according to the schedule for emptying refuse.