A mobile robot equipped with a manipulator, forming a mobile manipulator, exhibits diverse capabilities for real-world tasks. This research explores the multifaceted applications of a mobile manipulator, showcasing demonstrations encompassing pick-and-place operations and multi-map navigation.
Pick-and-Place Task:
This project was conducted at a Package EXPO, showcasing the pick-and-place operation involving an object placed on a guide rail within an industrial production line setting. The system comprises a mobile manipulator, two fixed cameras, a control PC, and a target guide rail. The objective was to achieve autonomous pick-and-place tasks between two tables—Table A and the guide rail on Table B.
Contributions:I led the system development and demo preparation, fully contributing in the following areas:
- Design and implementation of the task-level controller
- Creation of a ROS-based (Robot Operating System) inverse kinematics (IK) solver for the 7-degree-of-freedom (DOF) manipulator.
- Development of a motion planning solver of the WAM specifically tailored for circular knob operations.
- Implementing vision-based object perception and pose estimation methods.
- Kinematic analysis between the WAM end-effector, cameras, and the mobile platform.
- Execution of experiments and presentation at the EXPO.
<Task Scenario>
<System Configuration>
<WAM Kinematics and the Geometric Solution of the Inverse Kinematics Solver>
<IK Solver Test: the DOF of the arm is redundant, and the solution is not unique. Still, the end-effector keeps the same pose>
<Jacobian-based IK solver: circular motion of the WAM end-effector for the knob operation>
Multi-floor Mobile Robot Navigation:
The objective of this task is to enable the mobile manipulator to function across multiple floors. While the system configuration largely remains the same, a notable functional addition was implemented: the multi-map operation capability. This advancement enables the robot to perform its tasks across different floors.
The demo clips below vividly illustrate the mobile robot's autonomous journey: starting from the lab on the 3rd floor of E7, navigating through the corridor, opening the corridor door, accessing the elevator, selecting the ground level, and finally reaching RoboHub on the ground floor. Now the robot is capable of multi-floor operation!
Contributions:
1. Development of the multi-map navigation function and conducting related experiments.
