Mobile robots and their control system

Abstract

System of guidance and positioning relative to a fixed station (1) for an autonomous mobile robot (7) utilizing at least a directional infra-red beam (2′) emitted by the fixed station, the mobile robot being provided with a directional system of detection (10a, 10b) of infra-red emission connected to a microcomputer incorporated in the robot, the robot moving on a work surface in an essentially random manner, the microcomputer (44) including an algorithm able to control the return to fixed station (1) by displacement of the robot (7) towards the direction of emission of said infra-red beam (2′), characterized in that the infra-red beam (2′) is a narrow directional beam and in that the system of detection (10a, 10b) is located on a frame at the center of rotation of the robot (7), oriented in the direction of movement of the robot, precise positioning in the fixed station (1) being carried out by rotation of the machine around a vertical axis according to an algorithm based on the detection of the narrow beam (2′).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.