Web-based remote navigational robot for multiclass human-robot interaction

Robots and human are inter-related because robots are built to serve human. Mobile robot that is equipped with vision capability and remote navigation is able to fulfill multiclass human-robot interaction (HRI) for various localization methods, interaction modes and human experience of the robot. With the advancement of embedded system and communication technology, robot can run on smaller platform and allow human navigation from distant location. In this paper, design of a remote navigational mobile robot based on live video streaming and steering control via a web browser over the Wi-Fi network is presented. The robot acts as the server and the client is the remote human operator. The project takes emphasis on building the robot that runs on a compact embedded system board, namely the Mini2440, for video streaming to remote client and linkage with the client to receive control inputs over the internet. The Mini2440 board also transfers the remote control inputs to a microcontroller board that runs on a PIC microcontroller through the UART interface. The microcontroller board then controls the pin electronics for the motor driver. A self-contained mobile robot prototype for indoor navigation was built. Experiment result shows that live video streaming from server to client is achievable at average of 0.67s video lag through the MJPEG-streamer. Robot navigation has been performed with condition that the control tool used by the remote operator has sufficient processing power for online video feed.