Mobile robot with removable fabric panels
A mobile robot is configured for operation in a commercial or industrial setting, such as an office building or retail store. The robot can patrol one or more routes within a building, and can detect violations of security policies by objects, building infrastructure and security systems, or individuals. In response to the detected violations, the robot can perform one or more security operations. The robot can include a removable fabric panel, enabling sensors within the robot body to capture signals that propagate through the fabric. In addition, the robot can scan RFID tags of objects within an area, for instance coupled to store inventory. Likewise, the robot can generate or update one or more semantic maps for use by the robot in navigating an area and for measuring compliance with security policies.
1. A mobile robot, comprising:
a motorized base configured to move and rotate the mobile robot;
a power source configured to provide power to the motorized base;
a housing body coupled to the motorized base;
a fabric panel removably coupled around an exterior of the housing body, the fabric panel comprising a top opening with a first diameter and a bottom opening with a second diameter greater than the first diameter, wherein the fabric panel further comprises one or both of: a stretchy fabric material and a mesh fabric material;
a set of sensors coupled to the housing body configured to detect signals that propagate through the fabric panel and to generate information representative of the detected signals;
a robot head coupled to the housing body such that the housing body is coupled between the motorized base and the robot head;
a display coupled to the robot head, the display configured to display a user interface associated with the mobile robot; and
a wireless transceiver configured to provide the generated information to a receiving entity.
2. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the fabric panel increases linearly from the first diameter at the top of the fabric panel to the second diameter at the bottom of the fabric panel.
3. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the fabric panel is constant from the top of the fabric panel to the bottom of the fabric panel.
4. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the housing body includes an interface, wherein the fabric panel includes a side opening, and wherein the side opening aligns with the interface when the fabric panel is coupled around the exterior of the housing body such that the interface protrudes through the side opening.
5. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the fabric panel includes a first set of holes located around the top opening and a second set of holes located around the bottom opening.
6. The mobile robot of claim 5 , wherein the housing body includes a first set of pins and a second set of pins, and wherein, when the fabric panel is coupled around the exterior of the housing body, each of the first set of pins is inserted into a reciprocal hole of the first set of holes and each of the second set of pins is inserted into a reciprocal hole of the second set of holes.
7. The mobile robot of claim 5 , wherein the fabric panel includes a grommet coupled to the fabric panel around each hole of the first set of holes and the second set of holes.
8. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the set of sensors includes a microphone configured to record audio signals that propagate through the fabric panel.
9. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the set of sensors includes an infrared detector configured to record infrared signals that propagate through the fabric panel.
10. The mobile robot of claim 1 , wherein the robot head is configured to rotate relative to the housing body.
11. A mobile robot, comprising:
a motorized base configured to move and rotate the mobile robot;
a power source configured to provide power to the motorized base;
a housing body coupled to the motorized base;
a set of fabric panels removably coupled around an exterior of the housing body, each fabric panel including an outer frame and fabric portion coupled around the outer frame, wherein at least one fabric panel comprises one or both of: a stretchy fabric material and a mesh fabric material;
a set of sensors coupled to the housing body configured to detect signals that propagate through the set of fabric panels and to generate information representative of the detected signals;
a robot head coupled to the housing body such that the housing body is coupled between the motorized base and the robot head;
a display coupled to the robot head, the display configured to display a user interface associated with the mobile robot; and
a wireless transceiver configured to provide the generated information to a receiving entity.
12. The mobile robot of claim 11 , wherein the housing body includes an interface, wherein a fabric panel of the set of fabric panels includes a side opening, and wherein the side opening aligns with the interface when the set of fabric panels are coupled around the exterior of the housing body such that the interface protrudes through the side opening.
13. The mobile robot of claim 11 , wherein each outer frame includes a set of attachment mechanisms, wherein the housing body includes reciprocal attachment mechanisms, and wherein the sets of attachment mechanisms and the reciprocal attachment mechanisms align and couple when the set of fabric panels are coupled around the exterior of the housing body.
14. The mobile robot of claim 11 , wherein the set of sensors includes a microphone configured to record audio signals that propagate through the set of fabric panels.
15. The mobile robot of claim 11 , wherein the set of sensors includes an infrared detector configured to record infrared signals that propagate through the set of fabric panels.
16. A mobile robot, comprising:
a base configured to move and rotate the mobile robot;
a housing body coupled to the base;
a fabric panel removably coupled around an exterior of the housing body, the fabric panel including a set of elastic bands each configured to securely enclose the fabric panel around the mobile robot, wherein the fabric panel comprises one or both of: a stretchy fabric material and a mesh fabric material; and
a set of sensors coupled to the housing body configured to detect signals that propagate through the fabric panel and to generate information representative of the detected signals.
17. The mobile robot of claim 16 , wherein the fabric panel includes a top opening with a first diameter corresponding to a diameter of a top portion of the housing body and a bottom opening with second diameter greater than the first diameter and corresponding to a diameter of the bottom portion of the housing body.
18. The mobile robot of claim 17 , wherein the fabric panel includes a first set of holes located around the top opening and a second set of holes located around the bottom opening, wherein the housing body includes a first set of pins and a second set of pins, and wherein, when the fabric panel is coupled around the exterior of the housing body, each of the first set of pins is inserted into a reciprocal hole of the first set of holes and each of the second set of pins is inserted into a reciprocal hole of the second set of holes.
19. The mobile robot of claim 16 , wherein the housing body includes an interface, wherein the fabric panel includes a side opening, and wherein the side opening aligns with the interface when the fabric panel is coupled around the exterior of the housing body such that the interface protrudes through the side opening.
20. The mobile robot of claim 16 , wherein the set of sensors includes one or more of: a microphone configured to record audio signals that propagate through the fabric panel, an infrared detector configured to record infrared signals that propagate through the fabric panel, and an RFID reader configured to read RFID sensors that propagate through the fabric panel.
21. The mobile robot of claim 16 , wherein the mobile robot further includes a set of reciprocal grooves, and wherein the set of elastic bands securely enclose the fabric panel to the mobile robot by tightening around the set of reciprocal grooves.
22. The mobile robot of claim 16 , wherein the fabric panel includes a top opening and a bottom opening.
23. The mobile robot of claim 22 , wherein the fabric panel is removably coupled around the exterior of the housing body by inserting a top of the mobile robot into the bottom opening of the fabric panel.