Robotic Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance System for Advancing Attic Insulation

Abstract

Attic insulation is notorious for being hazardous and labor-intensive, often putting workers at risk of heat stress, falls, and inhalation hazards. Recent advances in robotics have opened possibilities for enhancing safety in such high-risk construction tasks by automating attic insulation. The potential use of drone technology in attic insulation is an innovative approach to reduce the dangers associated with this task. While drones are not yet a common tool in this field, they could significantly mitigate these risks by automating aspects of the insulation process. In this context, drones equipped with lightweight grippers could independently manipulate hoses and apply insulation materials, providing a safer alternative to manual labor. However, the practical application of this idea faces significant challenges, especially in navigation. Attics are typically confined and complex spaces, posing difficulties for drones to navigate through obstacles effectively. Addressing these challenges, this study aims to develop a robotic navigation and obstacle avoidance system called AdaptiNav for attic insulation, combining Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) and an adaptive path planning algorithm. Within this method, a Lidar sensor is used to scan the surrounding environment to generate a map of static obstacles. The algorithm then calculates the best route to reach the target while avoiding any detected unmapped or moved objects. This dynamic allows the system to effectively navigate and circumvent obstacles. To examine the feasibility of this proposed system, an attic scenario was replicated in a simulation setting. The results were promising, showing that the system enabled drones to achieve above 95% success rate in avoiding obstacles and reaching specific targets. These outcomes demonstrate the system’s effectiveness in path planning and obstacle avoidance in attic environments, highlighting its potential to make attic insulation safer and more efficient.