Tracking control of blind mobile robot using force sensor

Abstract

The novel blind mobile robot is introduced. The blind robot does not have odometric sensors to be localized. Like a blind human avoiding obstacles with a cane, for the blind robot a force sensor is used to determine the path and to track the unknown trajectory. Detected force measurements are converted to the desired trajectory for the robot to follow. Force control is used to maintain contact with the environment and to guide the robot to the goal position. The experimental results show that the blind robot successfully follows the unknown environment maintaining contact with the environment and arrives at the goal position.