A review of the challenges in mobile manipulation: systems design and RoboCup challenges

Abstract

Abstract Mobile robotics is already well established in today’s production lines. Navigation, control and perception for mobile robots are vivid fields of research fostering advances in Industry 4.0. In order to increase the flexibility of such mobile platforms, it is also common practice to add serial manipulator arms to their yielding systems with nine degrees of freedom and more. These platforms are not limited to industry but are supportive in various field such as service, assistance, teleoperation and also rehabilitation. Due to the operation of such increasingly complex systems in less structured and dynamic environments - often in close contact with humans - more demanding challenges evolve in terms of systems design, control and sensors. These challenges are also reflected in the various RoboCup leagues. In this paper, we discuss state-of-the-art developments in mobile manipulation using developments and work done in the context of the RoboCup competition as design examples. Additionally, we elaborate on the recent challenges of the RoboCup Rescue League as well as on the RoboCup@Work League.