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In the public domainroboticsAssigned to iRobot Corporation

Vision-based robotic navigation system

Vision-based robotic navigation using image feature identification that unlocks license-free autonomy for mobile robots.

What it is

The system uses a camera and computer vision to detect visual features in an environment and then compute navigation actions to guide the robot’s movement. Its core value is turning raw image streams into real-time feature matches for obstacle-agnostic path following rather than relying only on sensors like bump switches. Previously, deploying similar vision-guided navigation on consumer robots required negotiating licenses with the patent holder.

What you could build

Build camera-first warehouse and home robots that localize with vision features and navigate without per-unit patent royalties.

Patent number
7684955B2
Expiration
Invalid Da
Assignee
iRobot Corporation
Inventors
Colin M. Angle, Andrew B. Sutherland, Christopher W. Jones

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