Advanced Robotics & Autonomous Systems

Service robots are handled not as a finished product but as a placement task specific to the facility. A body carrying floor service in a hotel, a transporter taking samples in a hospital, an autonomous vehicle pulling loads in a warehouse and a reception unit giving directions share one problem. Bodies and duties differ, but each has to locate itself reliably inside the building and see the obstacle ahead in time.

When the building does not suit the robot

Positioning runs on a map extracted from a lidar scan. Glass facades, mirrors and polished floors mislead that scan. Speed drops in a crowded corridor, body width catches at a narrow threshold, and ramp gradient and door width rule a route out at the outset. A transporter that has to change floors is bridged to the lift controller so it can call the car and choose a floor. If it will pass a turnstile or a door, its own authorisation is defined on the access control side. A gap in Wi-Fi coverage means the robot stopping at exactly that point and waiting for a task.

Working zone and handover

For a machine sharing space with people, the working zone, the speed and the stopping distance are defined in writing. An emergency stop sits within reach, and pulling aside to wait when a fire alarm sounds is made a rule. Autonomous decision does not close every situation: when the lift is full, the way is blocked or the load is not collected, the task is handed to a person. Fleet software keeps the task queue, the charging plan and handed-over jobs in one list. Rollout therefore follows a narrow start on a measured route.