This subject has been discussed quite a lot in the past. So far it has not yet been accomplished that I am aware of. There are many theories out there on how to accomplish it from everything from using QR codes to identify where the robot is to IR beacons or external cameras which detect position.

Here is one of the topics which has discussed it.

An excellent imformative thread reference. Too bad it was muddled with an ex-forum member's nonsense.

There is a robot named Loki on youtube that has a mapping ability. It seems to be able to go from one room to another just from its creator telling it to. I was thinking there might be a way to have the robot remember where objects are that it sees using its sonar, and have it map its area that way. The robot could go around the room and map out everything it comes across using wheel rotation for distance and barrier location using its sonar sensor. After it had mapped one room it would go to another and map it and so forth, it would save the map for future reference in it memory and using software the creator could label the rooms and maybe even objects in the rooms so the robot would know where to go if you asked it to go to the coffee table in the Den. This seems to me like it could work, if the robot was always turned on at the same spot it originally started mapping from. Is this feasible or am I way off base here? Am if I am off base, how does the Loki robot do what he does?

The Loki may be using the same hardware and similar programming that the Neato robotics floor cleaning robot uses. It can see its own charging base and makes maps of rooms for cleaning by using a Lidar (Laser unit).

The creator of Loki is a forum member (at least he has posted before). Maybe he will see this and reply. In the meantime check his website or his Facebook page.

Thanks, I checked out the Loki website, it says he uses Loki's navigational capabilities using his built-in map and A* navigation. I am not sure what this is. Does anyone know? and if so is it compatible with ARC? Thanks.

There were a few threads talking about Loki. Have you searched the forum? There is a great deal of discussion in those Loki threads on navigation as well.

Loki has switched to use EZ-Robot, the last time he spoke with us. I don't know what sensor he is using.

In a few months we will have our localized positioning system released. It works the same way the swarm flying drone robot videos work. The swarm robots use about 20 cameras. We would be using only one. With our upcoming positioning system, you mount the unit in the top corner of a room. It is a camera that can see IR. The robot would have an IR beacon EZ-Bit. The software can see the position of the robot in the room by the beacon. You can label doors, and objects for the robot to avoid.