Helpmate: A Mobile Robot For Transport Applications

Bala Krishnamurthy; Bruce Barrows; Steve King; Tim Stewis; Will Pong; Carl Weiman

doi:10.1117/12.949110

10 March 1989 Helpmate: A Mobile Robot For Transport Applications

Bala Krishnamurthy, Bruce Barrows, Steve King, Tim Stewis, Will Pong, Carl Weiman

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 1007, Mobile Robots III; (1989) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.949110
Event: 1988 Cambridge Symposium on Advances in Intelligent Robotics Systems, 1988, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

HelpMate is a mobile robotic materials transport system that performs fetch and carry tasks at Danbury Hospital. It navigates along the main arteries of the hospital, crossing between buildings via interconnecting corridors and uses infrared communication links to communicate with the elevator controller. HelpMate has been designed to work safely around humans, smoothly rerouting its local path to avoid obstacles while maintaining its mission. Safety features include both non-contact and contact obstacle sensing, emergency stop switches, auto/manual mode switches, flashing warning lights, turn indicators, and a failsafe controls design. HelpMate uses odometry, sonar and infrared proximity sensors, and vision as navigation inputs. An onboard card reader provides authorized personnel access to run time control and cargo transfer. Sensor information collected en route is used to build and maintain local navigation maps. A general knowledge of the structured properties of the world is assumed, and used both in collecting and rationalizing the sensor information and updating the robot's local knowledge base. All navigation and path planning is conducted under the direction of onboard processors.

Citation Download Citation

Bala Krishnamurthy, Bruce Barrows, Steve King, Tim Stewis, Will Pong, and Carl Weiman "Helpmate: A Mobile Robot For Transport Applications", Proc. SPIE 1007, Mobile Robots III, (10 March 1989); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.949110

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