SwarmRail: A Novel Overhead Robot System for Indoor Transport and Mobile Manipulation
Martin Görner, Fabian Benedikt, Ferdinand Grimmel, Thomas Hulin
Abstract
SwarmRail represents a novel solution to overhead manipulation from a mobile unit that drives in an aboveground rail-structure. The concept is based on the combination of omnidirectional mobile platform and L-shaped rail profiles that form a through-going central gap. This gap makes possible mounting a robotic manipulator arm overhead at the underside of the mobile platform. Compared to existing solutions, SwarmRail enables continuous overhead manipulation while traversing rail crossings. It also can be operated in a robot swarm, as it allows for concurrent operation of a group of mobile SwarmRail units inside a single rail network. Experiments on a first functional demonstrator confirm the functional capability of the concept. Potential fields of applications reach from industry over logistics to vertical farming.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{icra2020_swarmrailanovelo,
title = {SwarmRail: A Novel Overhead Robot System for Indoor Transport and Mobile Manipulation},
author = {Martin Görner and Fabian Benedikt and Ferdinand Grimmel and Thomas Hulin},
booktitle = {ICRA 2020},
year = {2020}
}