Patent ID: 8355818

Claim:
A robot platform, comprising: a hazard sensor configured for sensing an environmental hazard to generate a signal containing hazard information indicative of a magnitude of the environmental hazard; a locomotor configured for providing mobility to the robot platform; and a system controller disposed on the robot platform and operably coupled to the locomotor and the signal from the hazard sensor, the system controller configured for executing a hazard evaluation of an area of interest, the hazard evaluation, comprising repeatedly: determining a hazard level proximate the hazard sensor from the hazard information; and using a robot initiative to adaptively move the robot platform with the locomotor to a new position responsive to the hazard level determined at one or more of a present hazard level and previous hazard levels from the repeated hazard level determinations; and determining a hazard gradient indicating varying levels of a hazard intensity at different locations responsive to two or more of the repeated hazard level determinations.