Apparatus, system, and method of docking for autonomous robot navigation

An autonomous mobile robot having a height of at least one meter and having a docking station, the robot and the docking station system comprising:

• a charging station resident at the docking station, comprising:
• a charging base wherein the charging base is elevated from a major floor surface;
• a base docking connector, wherein the base docking connector comprises a floating connector extending from a side of the charging base;
• an upper surface having at least one AR tag disposed on the upper surface;
• and
• the robot comprising:
• a robot body;
• at least one three-dimensional depth camera sensor affixed to the robot body proximate to a full extent of the height, wherein the at least one three-dimensional depth camera sensor is directed toward the major floor surface from where it is affixed;
• a docking connector configured to make a physical and electrical connection to the base docking connector, whereby the autonomous mobile robot is charged;
• at least two AR tags, the at least one three-dimensional depth camera, the docking connector, and the at least two AR tags being disposed on one side of the robot;
• and
• a processing system communicative with the at least one three-dimensional depth camera sensor and comprising non-transitory computing code which, when executed by at least one processor associated with the processing system, causes to be executed the steps of:
• receiving data for a field of view from the at least one three-dimensional depth camera sensor;
• detecting a presence of the at least one AR tag on the upper surface of the charging base;
• calculating a virtual alignment point associated with a center point of the robot's docking connector, wherein the center point of the robot's docking connector is calculated based on the at least two AR tags on the robot;
• calculating a virtual alignment point associated with the center of the base docking connector;
• and
• outputting a path of travel between the center of the base docking connector and the center of the robot's docking connector, whereby a physical and electrical connection is made between the base docking connector and the robot's docking connector.