Project: Transport Robot

Goal

Build a robot that can help transport heavy loads within a home environment.

Project Concept

When I discuss my robotics hobby with friends a question typically asked is “why build a transport robot instead of something more exciting, for example a humanoid robot?”. The reason is that my main objective is to design and build a robot with a practical application; otherwise a robot is little more than an intellectual curiosity. With this objective in mind the question becomes – what can a robot do for me? For several days I pondered this question while going about my daily activities. Over time I noticed I frequently performed a particular activity – moving items from one place to another. For example carrying trashcans to the curb at night; carrying groceries in from the car after shopping; carrying laundry upstairs after being washed. That’s when I realized having an assistant to carry objects would be a great help, especially up the stairs of a multi-story home.

The following lists the capabilities and features envisioned for a Transport Robot operating within a home setting. The list includes constraints imposed upon the robot’s design due to issues associated with its intended environment.

Project Requirements

• Carry a useful payload
  • Maximum 50 pounds
  • Maximum dimensions of 2’ wide, 2’ deep, 6’ tall
• Easily move around the house
  • Traverse hallways = robot maximum width 2’
  • Navigate box corners = turn 180 degrees within bounds of 2’ by 2’
• Ascend/descend staircase
  • Straight staircase or staircase with one or more landings
  • Staircase with open risers
  • Staircase follows home building codes:
    • Maximum riser height 8.25″
    • Minimum tread length 9″
  • Robot can extend length while traversing stairs to maintain stability
• Traverse typical home obstacles
  • Door transom / floor lip (roll over transom if low, climb transom like a stair if high)
  • Wheelchair ramps (max angle = 10 degrees)
• Operate for a full day (16 hours) on a single rechargeable power source
  • If not possible then provide ability to easily swap between multiple rechargable power sources
• Autonomous path navigation with automatic obstance avoidance
• Simple user interface – ideally voice operated
• Optional: provide articulated arms with grippers to load/unload payload