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Erwin Prassler, Jens Scholz, Jörg Illmann, Matthias Strobel, Paolo Fiorini

Motion Planning and Control in Large-Scale, Rapidly Changing Environments

In this paper we describe the control and navigation system of an autonomous robot vehicle whose primary task is the transportation of people in crowded public environments. The system was initially designed as a robotic wheelchair for elderly and disabled people. Hence the naming MAid (Mobility Aid for Elderly and Disabled People). One of MAid´s core functions is deliberative autonomous locomotion in rapidly changing, large-scale environments, such as shopping malls or concourses of airports or railway stations, where tens or hundreds of people and objects move around. MAid´s performance was tested in the central station of Ulm, Germany, during rush-hour, and in the exhibition halls of the Hannover Messe ´98, the biggest industrial fair world-wide. Meanwhile, MAid has survived more than 36 hours of testing in those environments. Recently we have started to extend MAid´s navigation system such that it could be used as a people taxi in airports,railway stations or large public buildings such as museums.

it – Information Technology (vormals it+ti), Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag

Print ISSN: 1611-2776
Volume: 42, 01/2000
Pages: 16

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