A distributed multi-robot system, comprising: a robot manager having a wireless communication module that transmits and receives robot information; the robot manager comprising: a mapping and navigation module configured to generate and update a map of an environment; an Internet communication subsystem configured to receive information and data used to monitor and control a plurality of robots; and an application framework configured to download software from a remote system and to update the robot manager using the downloaded software; and a plurality of robots (A, B) within the environment, each having a wireless communication module configured to communicate with the robot manager in conjunction with performance of a robot service function; wherein the robot manager is adapted to perform computationally intensive functions on behalf of a robot (A, B) for use in performance of a robot service function and communicate the results of the computationally intensive functions or instructions based thereon to a robot (A, B); and wherein the robot manager is adapted to use information provided by a wireless transceiver carried by a user to generate and update a map of the environment, and wherein the robot manager is adapted to automatically update an electronic map of the environment from location and object information received from one or more of the plurality of robots during performance of one or more service function. a robot manager having a wireless communication module that transmits and receives robot information; the robot manager comprising: a mapping and navigation module configured to generate and update a map of an environment; an Internet communication subsystem configured to receive information and data used to monitor and control a plurality of robots; and an application framework configured to download software from a remote system and to update the robot manager using the downloaded software; and a mapping and navigation module configured to generate and update a map of an environment; an Internet communication subsystem configured to receive information and data used to monitor and control a plurality of robots; and an application framework configured to download software from a remote system and to update the robot manager using the downloaded software; and a plurality of robots (A, B) within the environment, each having a wireless communication module configured to communicate with the robot manager in conjunction with performance of a robot service function; wherein the robot manager is adapted to perform computationally intensive functions on behalf of a robot (A, B) for use in performance of a robot service function and communicate the results of the computationally intensive functions or instructions based thereon to a robot (A, B); and wherein the robot manager is adapted to use information provided by a wireless transceiver carried by a user to generate and update a map of the environment, and wherein the robot manager is adapted to automatically update an electronic map of the environment from location and object information received from one or more of the plurality of robots during performance of one or more service function.