Systems and methods for a portable robot with collapsible tower and sensor protection

A method for operating a robotic system for indoor mapping, the method comprising:

• providing a robotic system comprising:
• a base comprising a differential drive having a wheel axis,
• a tower coupled to the base and comprising a plurality of tower sections including a lower section and at least one upper section, the tower being collapsible at a plurality of joints between adjacent tower sections,
• a folding mechanism configured to fold the tower from an extended configuration into a collapsed configuration in which the tower lies substantially flush with a top of the base,
• a plurality of cameras mounted to the tower along a line that is vertically aligned with the wheel axis, the plurality of cameras being oriented substantially perpendicular to a direction of travel of the robotic system such that rotation of the base about the wheel axis causes the plurality of cameras to rotate in place without substantial lateral translation of corresponding fields of view,
• a three-dimensional (3D) LiDAR sensor mounted to the robotic system, and
• a memory comprising computer readable instructions stored thereon;
• navigating the robotic system along a path adjacent to one or more objects while the tower is in the extended configuration;
• obtaining, by the plurality of cameras, image data of the one or more objects while the robotic system traverses the path;
• and
• obtaining, by the 3D LiDAR sensor, range data while the robotic system traverses the path.