Methods and apparatus for dynamically routing robots based on exploratory on-board mapping

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a robot to:

• command a depth camera of the robot to capture depth images of an environment, the depth camera having a field of view;
• generate a map of the environment based on the depth images, the map including a representation of unoccupied space within the environment, the map further including a path extending through the unoccupied space from a reference location of the robot to a target location of the robot;
• determine whether a value of a size attribute of the field of view associated with the reference location satisfies a size attribute threshold;
• and
• generate, in response to the value of the size attribute satisfying the size attribute threshold, a route to be followed by the robot within the environment, the route including a first candidate location located along the path of the map between the reference location and the target location, the first candidate location being within the field of view associated with the reference location.

A method comprising:

• commanding, by executing a computer-readable instruction with one or more processors of a robot, a depth camera of the robot to capture depth images of an environment, the depth camera having a field of view;
• generating, by executing a computer-readable instruction with the one or more processors, a map of the environment based on the depth images, the map including a representation of unoccupied space within the environment, the map further including a path extending through the unoccupied space from a reference location of the robot to a target location of the robot;
• determining, by executing a computer-readable instruction with the one or more processors, whether a value of a size attribute of the field of view associated with the reference location satisfies a size attribute threshold;
• and
• generating, by executing a computer-readable instruction with the one or more processors in response to the value of the size attribute satisfying the size attribute threshold, a route to be followed by the robot within the environment, the route including a first candidate location located along the path of the map between the reference location and the target location, the first candidate location being within the field of view associated with the reference location.

A robot, the robot comprising:

• a depth camera having a field of view;
• computer-readable instructions;
• and
• processor circuitry to execute the computer-readable instructions to:
• command the depth camera to capture depth images of an environment;
• generate a map of the environment based on the depth images, the map including a representation of unoccupied space within the environment, the map further including a path extending through the unoccupied space from a reference location of the robot to a target location of the robot;
• determine whether a value of a size attribute of the field of view associated with the reference location satisfies a size attribute threshold;
• and
• generate, in response to the value of the size attribute satisfying the size attribute threshold, a route to be followed by the robot within the environment, the route including a first candidate location located along the path of the map between the reference location and the target location, the first candidate location being within the field of view associated with the reference location.