Mast systems for autonomous mobile robots

An autonomous mobile robot comprising:

• a body;
• a drive to maneuver the body across a floor surface;
• an image capture device;
• and
• an elongate flexible member comprising
• a polymer layer extending along an entire length of the flexible member,
• first and second fabric portions forming lateral portions of the flexible member,
• a first portion of a fastening mechanism extending along a first lateral edge of the polymer layer and a second portion of the fastening mechanism extending along a second lateral edge of the polymer layer, wherein the first portion of the fastening mechanism is attached to the second portion of the fastening mechanism and forms a conduit to support the image capture device, the conduit comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, and the outer surface of the conduit being at least partially defined by the polymer layer, and
• an end portion vertically movable away from the body, wherein the image capture device is mounted to the end portion of the flexible member such that the image capture device moves vertically away from the body as the end portion moves vertically away from the body,
• wherein a perimeter of a cross section of the conduit comprises a first segment and a second segment, the first segment comprising a first end connected to a first end of the second segment and a second end connected to a second end of the second segment, wherein the second segment has a curvature more than a curvature of the first segment, and wherein the first and second fabric portions extend along the first segment and the polymer layer extends along the second segment.

An autonomous mobile robot comprising:

• a body;
• a drive to maneuver the body across a floor surface;
• an image capture device;
• and
• an elongate flexible member comprising
• a polymer layer forming a central portion of the flexible member, the polymer layer extending along an entire length of the flexible member,
• first and second fabric portions forming lateral portions of the flexible member, the first and second fabric portions extending along first and second lateral edges, respectively, of the polymer layer, wherein the polymer layer has a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the first and second fabric portions,
• a first portion of a fastening mechanism extending along a lateral edge of the first fabric portion and a second portion of the fastening mechanism extending along a lateral edge of the second fabric portion, wherein the first portion of the fastening mechanism is directly attached to the second portion of the fastening mechanism to connect the lateral edge of the first fabric portion and the lateral edge of the second fabric portion such that the first and second fabric portions, the polymer layer, and the fastening mechanism form a conduit to support the image capture device, the conduit comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, and the outer surface of the conduit being defined by the polymer layer, the first and second fabric portions, and the fastening mechanism, and
• an end portion vertically movable away from the body, wherein the central portion is configured to deflect such that the lateral edges of the first and second fabric portions are moved toward one another as the end portion of the flexible member moves away from the body, and wherein the image capture device is mounted to the end portion of the flexible member such that the image capture device moves vertically away from the body as the end portion moves vertically away from the body.