A novel visible light communication system for enhanced control of autonomous delivery robots in a hospital | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore

A novel visible light communication system for enhanced control of autonomous delivery robots in a hospital


Abstract:

Control systems for Autonomous mobile delivery robots have been described before. However, the control they provide is limited, leaving potential for serious errors. The ...Show More

Abstract:

Control systems for Autonomous mobile delivery robots have been described before. However, the control they provide is limited, leaving potential for serious errors. The current mobile robot systems concentrate on position accuracy and operational function but leave open management of safety hazards such as entering the dangerous and not intended areas as stairway. In order to increase the safety of the robot, it is as important to work with sensors installed in the external environment as the sensors installed on the robot. For this purpose, visible light communication (VLC) is a promising device to be used with the robot system. VLC creates an in-house GPS system by installing special LED lights that can replace standard lighting in key locations in the hospital. We have developed an in-hospital transportation robot, called HOSPI in which the control system has been enhanced by combining the navigational sensors of the robot and a VLC using installed lighting in the building. By using VLC, robots can obtain more information about the environment. As the first step for the practical application of VLC to robot system, we use VLC to overcome problems in conventional localization approaches, and to provide an additional line of defense in the case of catastrophic failures. This paper also describes experimental and actual operational results in detail of robots equipped, in an actual hospital, with the described process.
Date of Conference: 16-18 December 2012
Date Added to IEEE Xplore: 04 February 2013
ISBN Information:
Conference Location: Fukuoka, Japan

References

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