Automatic Floor Cleaning Robot

A mobile robot configured to clean a space with a floor and ceiling, comprising:

• a drive system capable of moving said apparatus;
• at least one upward facing distance sensor in communication with a controller, said upward facing distance sensor configured to detect the distance of surfaces above said apparatus that are lower than said ceiling;
• a controller in communication with said drive system, said controller configured to autonomously move said apparatus to areas of said space where the height of surfaces above said apparatus are lower than said ceiling;
• a main body where said drive system, controller and upward facing distance sensor are fixed to the main body;
• a cleaning pad fixed to the bottom of said main body;
• wherein said cleaning pad is circular in shape in a first portion and conforming to the shape of the bottom of said main body in a second portion;
• wherein said cleaning pad further comprises cutouts that are triangular in shape extending radially from a point on the bottom edge of said main body to the outer edge of said cleaning pad;
• wherein said first portion of said cleaning pad is configured to trail behind said drive system when the apparatus moves in the forward direction;
• wherein said upward facing distance sensor is an ultrasonic sensor;
• wherein said upward facing distance sensor is further configured to detect surfaces less than one foot above said apparatus;
• at least one collision sensor and at least one downward facing distance sensor,
• wherein said downward facing distance sensor is an infrared transmitter and receiver;
• where said controller is configured to calibrate said downward facing sensor for the floor surface characteristics by recording the high values transmitted by the downward facing sensor during a period of operation and setting a normal value based on said high values.

A method of controlling a mobile robot, comprising:

• recording and storing forward motion events in a memory of said mobile robot;
• selecting a first predetermined number of forward motion events;
• selecting a first time value threshold;
• comparing the sum of the first predetermined number of most recent forward motion events to said first time value threshold;
• and
• when said sum of the first predetermined number of most recent forward motion events exceeds said first time value threshold, moving said mobile robot in a predetermined pattern.

A mobile robot configured to clean a space with a floor and ceiling, comprising:

• a drive system capable of moving said apparatus;
• at least one upward facing distance sensor in communication with a controller, said upward facing distance sensor configured to detect the distance of surfaces above said apparatus that are lower than said ceiling;
• a controller in communication with said drive system, said controller configured to autonomously move said apparatus to areas of said space where the height of surfaces above said apparatus are lower than said ceiling;
• a main body where said drive system, controller and upward facing distance sensor are fixed to the main body.
• at least one collision sensor and at least one downward facing distance sensor,
• wherein said downward facing distance sensor is an infrared transmitter and receiver;
• and
• where said controller is configured to calibrate said downward facing sensor for the floor surface characteristics by recording the high values transmitted by the downward facing sensor during a period of operation and setting a normal value based on said high values.