Hae Kwan Jeong

Obstacle negotiation for the rescue robot with variable single-tracked mechanism

The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical introduction to a mobile robot developed for rescue operations. The robot has a variable single-tracked mechanism for the driving part, making it inherently able to overcome indoor obstacles such as stairs. In this research, the robot is given the capacity of obstacle negotiation as a hardware attachment in order to realize autonomous navigation that is well matched to an original target, rescue operation. There are three driving modes to choose from, and the robot recognizes the forward environment once and estimates whether or not any obstacles are there. Experimental results show that the robot moves in opposition to several obstacles, reflecting the proposed algorithm ultimately.

Driving Mode Decision in the Obstacle Negotiation of a Variable Single-Tracked Robot

We propose a new algorithm for obstacle negotiation of a mobile robot known as a variable single-tracked robot (VSTR). The robot was originally designed for the purpose of rescue operations; hence, its ability to traverse various environments should be guaranteed. Previous experiments have already shown that the special structural characteristics of a VSTR enable it to easily climb indoor stairs. However, the VSTR has a critical drawback in that all of its functions are realized by an operator and the robot cannot detect obstacles or transform its driving mode by itself. For this reason, we have enhanced the system with the basis for autonomous navigation, i.e., the ability to negotiate obstacles, and we have introduced a methodology for practical use. Our experiments confirm that the driving mode decision, which is controlled by position-sensitive detector infrared sensors, gives decisive improvement. Moreover, the experimental results show that the robot can overcome several obstacles, thereby reflecting the benefits of the proposed algorithm.

ELA+: Goal-oriented navigation with obstacle avoidance for rescue robots

This paper describes development and demonstration of an obstacle avoidance algorithm termed ELA+ that is adaptable to rescue robots. ELA+ consists of two routines; one related to goal-oriented intention and the other to standing rotation for steering. In ELA+, autonomous navigation based on ELA (Emergency Level Around) proceeds until a goal is reached, and goal-oriented navigation with ELA then follows. It was assumed that the tested scenario was similar to an actual disaster situation, and ELA+ was shown to be able to avoid obstacles located in a 2D virtual space. Simulation results show that ELA+ is able to guide a robot successfully to a goal using only bearing information, even when the distance to the goal and the localization are not prepared.