Apparatus and methods for semi-autonomous cleaning of surfaces

A method of using a cleaning robot having a drive system configured to move the cleaning robot along the surface, a cleaning assembly configured to clean the surface, and an electronics system including at least a processor and a memory, the processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory associated with using the cleaning robot, the method comprising:

• defining a cleaning plan associated with a map of a surface to be cleaned by the cleaning robot, the cleaning plan defining at least a cleaning path along the surface and an operating condition of each of the drive system and the cleaning assembly based at least in part on a position of the cleaning robot along the cleaning path;
• moving the cleaning robot along the surface to clean the surface according to the cleaning plan;
• receiving image data associated with the surface from at least one camera of the cleaning robot as the cleaning robot moves along the surface, the image data including at least one image of an object disposed along the cleaning path and not included in the map of the surface;
• performing an image recognition analysis to identify the object;
• and
• changing the operating condition of at least one of the drive system or the cleaning assembly based on the image recognition analysis and a position of the cleaning robot along the cleaning path.

A method of using a cleaning robot having a drive system configured to move the cleaning robot along the surface, a cleaning assembly configured to clean the surface, and electronics system with at least a processor and a memory, the processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory associated with using the cleaning robot, the method comprising:

• defining a cleaning plan associated with a map of a surface to be cleaned by the cleaning robot, the cleaning plan defining at least a cleaning path along the surface and an operating condition of the drive system and the cleaning assembly based at least in part on a position of the cleaning robot along the cleaning path;
• receiving image data associated with the surface from at least one camera of the cleaning robot as the cleaning robot moves along the surface, the image data including at least one image of an object disposed along the cleaning path;
• performing an image recognition analysis to identify the object;
• defining an updated cleaning plan based at least in part on the image recognition analysis identifying the object as an object to avoid, the updated cleaning plan including at least an updated cleaning path based at least in part on a calculated efficiency associated with the cleaning robot cleaning the surface as the cleaning robot moves along the updated cleaning path while avoiding the object;
• and
• controlling the cleaning robot such that the cleaning robot cleans the surface according to the updated cleaning plan.