Area-based operation by autonomous robots in a facility context

A method comprising:

• identifying, by a central communication system, a source area within a facility comprising a plurality of objects, the source area defined by a source boundary;
• determining, by the central communication system, a destination area within the facility to which the plurality of objects are to be transported and unloaded, the destination area defined by a destination boundary;
• selecting, by the central communication system, one or more robots of a fleet of robots within the facility based on one or more of a capability of the robots and a location of the robots within the facility;
• providing, by the central communication system, an instruction to each selected robot to transport the plurality of objects from the source area to the destination area, each robot configured to autonomously:
• select an object of the plurality of objects based on a position and location of the object within the source area;
• transport the selected object through the facility from the source area to the destination area along a route selected by the robot;
• and
• unload the selected object at a location within the destination area selected based on a first number of objects of the plurality of objects already unloaded within the destination area and based on a second number of objects of the plurality of objects yet to be unloaded within the destination area, wherein the one or more robots are further configured to:
• after transporting the selected object to the destination area, capture an image of the source area;
• identify an object that was previously occluded by the selected object;
• and
• adjust the second number of objects based on identifying the previously occluded object.

A system comprising:

• memory with instructions encoded thereon;
• and
• one or more processors, that, when executing the instructions, are caused to perform operations comprising:
• identifying, by a central communication system, a source area within a facility comprising a plurality of objects, the source area defined by a source boundary;
• determining, by the central communication system, a destination area within the facility to which the plurality of objects are to be transported and unloaded, the destination area defined by a destination boundary;
• selecting, by the central communication system, one or more robots of a fleet of robots within the facility based on one or more of a capability of the robots and a location of the robots within the facility;
• providing, by the central communication system, an instruction to each selected robot to transport the plurality of objects from the source area to the destination area, each robot configured to autonomously:
• select an object of the plurality of objects based on a position and location of the object within the source area;
• transport the selected object through the facility from the source area to the destination area along a route selected by the robot;
• and
• unload the selected object at a location within the destination area selected based on a first number of objects of the plurality of objects already unloaded within the destination area and based on a second number of objects of the plurality of objects yet to be unloaded within the destination area, wherein the one or more robots are further configured to:
• after transporting the selected object to the destination area, capture an image of the source area;
• identify an object that was previously occluded by the selected object;
• and
• adjust the second number of objects based on identifying the previously occluded object.