Semantic Place Recognition and Localization

A system comprising:

• one or more processors configured to execute computer program instructions;
• and
• one or more computer-storage media encoded with computer programs that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:
• receiving data that represents a portion of a property and that was obtained using one or more sensors of a robot while located at a particular position of the property;
• identifying, based at least on the data that represents the portion of the property and that was obtained using the one or more sensors of the robot while located at the particular position of the property, one or more objects that the data indicates as being located within the portion of the property;
• determining, based at least on the one or more objects that the data indicates as being located within the portion of the property, a semantic zone type corresponding to the portion of the property;
• accessing a mapping hierarchy for the property, wherein the mapping hierarchy for the property specifies one or more semantic zones of the property that each have a corresponding semantic zone type and that are each associated with a location at the property, and specifies, for each of the one or more semantic zones of the property, one or more characteristics of the semantic zone of the property;
• and
• selecting, from among the one or more semantic zones of the property specified by the mapping hierarchy and based at least on (i) the semantic zone type corresponding to the portion of the property and (ii) at least a portion of the data that represents the portion of the property and that was obtained using the one or more sensors of the robot while located at the particular position of the property, a particular semantic zone of the property specified by the mapping hierarchy;
• and
• setting, as a current location of the robot at the property, a particular location at the property associated with the particular semantic zone of the property specified by the mapping hierarchy.

One or more computer-readable devices storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• receiving data that represents a portion of a property and that was obtained using one or more sensors of a robot while located at a particular position of the property;
• identifying, based at least on the data that represents the portion of the property and that was obtained using the one or more sensors of the robot while located at the particular position of the property, one or more objects that the data indicates as being located within the portion of the property;
• determining, based at least on the one or more objects that the data indicates as being located within the portion of the property, a semantic zone type corresponding to the portion of the property;
• accessing a mapping hierarchy for the property, wherein the mapping hierarchy for the property specifies one or more semantic zones of the property that each have a corresponding semantic zone type and that are each associated with a location at the property, and specifies, for each of the one or more semantic zones of the property, one or more characteristics of the semantic zone of the property;
• and
• selecting, from among the one or more semantic zones of the property specified by the mapping hierarchy and based at least on (i) the semantic zone type corresponding to the portion of the property and (ii) at least a portion of the data that represents the portion of the property and that was obtained using the one or more sensors of the robot while located at the particular position of the property, a particular semantic zone of the property specified by the mapping hierarchy;
• and
• setting, as a current location of the robot at the property, a particular location at the property associated with the particular semantic zone of the property specified by the mapping hierarchy.