Autonomous Land Vehicles

This textbook results from a series of lectures concerning autonomous mobile robots which have been held at the University of Kaiserslautern - tween 1999 and 2009. Methods and algorithms are introduced which can be used for developing complex autonomous land vehicles. Starting from hist- ical remarks and application areas of service robots, the vehicle kinematics modeling is introduced and examples of the drive kinematics of di?erent vehicles are given. Thereafter, typical sensors and sensor systems are - scribed which are used to determine the internal state of the machine and its operational environment. Localization, i. e the determination where the robot is, is still a di?cult problem. In the textbook, several methods are discussed which can be used under speci?c preconditions. Map building as well as navigation strategies complement the set of basic methods. The last two chapters deal with the questions of how to compile the above mentioned methods using powerful control architecture and what frameworks to use to support the development process. This textbook is written for beginners and advanced students from the ?elds of computer science, mechanical engineering, and electrical engine- ing, specializing in autonomous mobile systems. The book is also suited for engineers with a special interest in the development of wheel driven service robots. The writing of the manuscript was only possible with the assistance of several researchers of our Robotics Research Lab. Special thanks to Seb- tian Blank, Tim Braun, and Martin Proetzsch for proof-reading and editing.

The economic potential of autonomous mobile robots will increase tremendously during the next years. Service robots such as cleaning machines and inspection or assistance robots will bring us great support in our daily lives. This textbook provides an introduction to the methods of controlling these robotic systems. Starting from mobile robot kinematics, the reader receives a systematic overview of the basic problems as well as methods and algorithms used for solving them. Localisation, object recognition, map building, navigation and control architectures for autonomous vehicles will be discussed in detail. A survey of specific service robot applications is also included. This book is a useful introduction to mobile robotics for beginners as well as advanced students and engineers.

Kinematics.- Sensors.- Localization.- Mapping.- Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM).- Navigation.- Control Architectures.- Software frameworks.

Program your own mobile service robot