A method, comprising: receiving, at a control system, a request for a particular mobile robotic device (140, 142, 144) to travel between a first area and a cell area (160, 162) of an environment, wherein the first area is connected to the cell area, wherein the cell area is a designated region where robotic devices and operators interact, wherein a first-area presence sensor (170, 176) is configured to detect the presence of objects traveling between the first area and the cell area and the control system is configured to cause partial or complete shutdown of robotic devices based on detection by the first-area presence sensor of an object traveling between the first area and the cell area; after receiving the request for the particular mobile robotic device to travel between the first area and the cell area, the control system disabling the first-area presence sensor (170, 176); receiving, at the control system from one or more identification sensors (174a, 174b), sensor data identifying a mobile robotic device that has moved into the cell area based on one or more identifiers on the mobile robotic device; verifying, by the control system, that the sensor data indicates that the mobile robotic device is the particular mobile robotic device; and after verifying that the mobile robotic device is the particular mobile robotic device, the control system: disabling the particular mobile robotic device, enabling the first-area presence sensor to detect the presence of objects traveling between the first area and the cell area, and providing an indication that the particular mobile robotic device is disabled in the cell area. receiving, at a control system, a request for a particular mobile robotic device (140, 142, 144) to travel between a first area and a cell area (160, 162) of an environment, wherein the first area is connected to the cell area, wherein the cell area is a designated region where robotic devices and operators interact, wherein a first-area presence sensor (170, 176) is configured to detect the presence of objects traveling between the first area and the cell area and the control system is configured to cause partial or complete shutdown of robotic devices based on detection by the first-area presence sensor of an object traveling between the first area and the cell area; after receiving the request for the particular mobile robotic device to travel between the first area and the cell area, the control system disabling the first-area presence sensor (170, 176); receiving, at the control system from one or more identification sensors (174a, 174b), sensor data identifying a mobile robotic device that has moved into the cell area based on one or more identifiers on the mobile robotic device; verifying, by the control system, that the sensor data indicates that the mobile robotic device is the particular mobile robotic device; and after verifying that the mobile robotic device is the particular mobile robotic device, the control system: disabling the particular mobile robotic device, enabling the first-area presence sensor to detect the presence of objects traveling between the first area and the cell area, and providing an indication that the particular mobile robotic device is disabled in the cell area. disabling the particular mobile robotic device, enabling the first-area presence sensor to detect the presence of objects traveling between the first area and the cell area, and providing an indication that the particular mobile robotic device is disabled in the cell area.