Development of LiDAR operated inventory control and assistance robot

摘要

The cordial existence of robots and humans in the same workstation is an important aspect of the deployment of autonomous systems. Usually, robots are integrated with auxiliary sensors for monitoring the surroundings and tackling unexpected actions. The incorporation of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) and SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) has gained the researcher’s attention these days. The current study aims at developing a collision-free motion for an autonomous robot to ensure the least possible travel period at internodes. First, a SLAM-based algorithm for a static environment is proposed. A low-cost microcontroller Arduino UNO is used here along with LiDAR VL53L0X and is integrated with MATLAB to store and display the acquired data. The A* algorithm is used to navigate between the shortest paths on the obtained map. The robot is also integrated with radio frequency identification (RFID) sensors to automate the process. The proposed system would be useful for material handling, assistance, and cleaning purpose in large warehouses or households.