New RFCs: the full robot-vacuum autonomy stack (sim → hardware)

[makers-pet]

We've broken the core robot-vacuum software into six new, pick-up-able RFCs — each one a self-contained module you can claim and work on in parallel. They go from the Gazebo simulation all the way to validating on a real robot.

How they fit together: see the dependency diagram in the README. Green = ready now, amber = unblocked once its parents land, blue = needs hardware.

The new RFCs:

• nav-localize — navigate & localize on a known map, recover when lost/kidnapped, resume an unfinished map
• dock-cycle — undock, return-to-dock, precise docking, recharge/auto-empty/mop-wash, find the dock when lost
• recovery-safety — recovery ladder (back up / wiggle / shake / rotate), escalation, pause-and-alert, safety sensors
• floor-care — wall & edge following, carpet-vs-hardwood detection, mop lift/lower
• cleaning-jobs — cleaning modes (regular/spot), virtual walls, room segmentation, splitting a job with mid-job dock visits + resume
• live-robot-bringup — connect a real vacuum to ROS2 and re-run the sim tests on hardware

Ready to start right now (no dependencies): urdf-gazebo-sim is the foundation everything else builds on — a great first pickup. The mechanical modules dust-bin and vacuum-fan have no software dependency and can start anytime too.

Everything is sim-first (Gazebo), so you can contribute without owning hardware. Want one? Comment here or say hi on Discord, and check ARCHITECTURE.md for the system design.