Systems and methods for initializing a robot to autonomously travel a trained route

A method for operating a robot comprising:

• taking a first image of an initialization object while the robot is in a first location;
• determining a first starting position of the robot relative to the initialization object based at least in part on the first image while the robot is in the first location;
• learning a plurality of routes by user demonstration, beginning from the first location, where the plurality of learned routes associate actions of the robot with positions of the robot relative to the initialization object, wherein the positions are determined at least in part from the first starting position;
• taking a second image of the initialization object while the robot is in a second location;
• detecting by the robot the initialization object in the second image of the initialization object;
• filtering by the robot the plurality of learned routes using the detected initialization object;
• presenting one or more of the filtered routes on a display device for selection by a user;
• when a route is selected, determining a second starting position of the robot relative to the initialization object based at least in part on the second image while the robot is in the second location;
• causing the robot to navigate autonomously beginning from the second location through at least a portion of the selected route while instructing the robot to perform the one or more associated actions based at least in part with positions of the robot relative to the initialization object, wherein the positions are determined at least in part from the second starting position.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon, the plurality of instructions being executable by a processing apparatus to operate a robot, the instructions being configured to, when executed by the processing apparatus, cause the processing apparatus to:

• determine a first starting position of the robot relative to a first initialization object based at least in part on a first image;
• learn at least one first route associated with the first initialization object by user demonstration, where the at least one first learned route associates actions of the robot with positions of the robot relative to the first initialization object, wherein the positions relative to the first initialization object are determined at least in part from the first starting position;
• determine a second starting position of the robot relative to a second initialization object based at least in part on a second image;
• learn at least one second route associated with the second initialization object by user demonstration, where the second learned route associates actions of the robot with positions of the robot relative to the second initialization object, wherein the positions relative to the second initialization object are determined at least in part from the second starting position;
• store (i) the at least one first route associated with the first initialization object and (ii) the at least one second route associated with the second initialization object;
• when the robot captures the first image, algorithmically identify the first initialization object in the captured first image based on a library of images stored in the storage medium, and based on the identified first initialization object, automatically select and navigate one of the at least one first route associated with the identified first initialization object;
• and
• when the robot captures the second image, algorithmically identify the second initialization object in the captured second image based on the library of images, and based on the identified second initialization object, automatically select and navigate one of the at least one second route associated with the identified second initialization object.