Safety mode toggling by autonomous robots in a facility context

A method of operating an autonomous mobile robot, the method comprising:

• traversing, by the autonomous mobile robot, along a route based on parameters corresponding to a first mode, the parameters comprising a first minimum distance to be maintained between the autonomous mobile robot and an obstacle;
• determining, by the autonomous mobile robot, that the route cannot be continued without a distance between the autonomous mobile robot and a detected obstacle becoming less than the first minimum distance;
• responsive to determining that the route cannot be continued, determining whether the route can be continued without the distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the detected obstacle becoming less than a second minimum distance less than the first minimum distance, the second minimum distance corresponding to a second mode;
• and
• responsive to determining that the route can be continued without the distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the detected obstacle becoming less than the second minimum distance, configuring the autonomous mobile robot to operate in second mode and continuing traversal of the route.

An autonomous mobile robot comprising:

• memory with instructions encoded thereon;
• and
• one or more processors, that, when executing the instructions, cause the robot to perform operations comprising:
• traversing along a route based on parameters corresponding to a first mode, the parameters comprising a first minimum distance to be maintained between the autonomous mobile robot and an obstacle;
• determining that the route cannot be continued without a distance between the autonomous mobile robot and a detected obstacle becoming less than the first minimum distance;
• responsive to determining that the route cannot be continued, determining whether the route can be continued without the distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the detected obstacle becoming less than a second minimum distance less than the first minimum distance, the second minimum distance corresponding to a second mode;
• and
• responsive to determining that the route can be continued without the distance between the autonomous mobile robot and the detected obstacle becoming less than the second minimum distance, configuring the autonomous mobile robot to operate in second mode and continuing traversal of the route.