Development of a new rotational swing mechanism for mobile robot

In this paper, we describe the development of a new rotation swing mechanism for a mobile robot. The mechanism is based on a three-dimensional (3D) laser range finder module, which enables a wide scanning area for capturing 3D obstacle shapes, as required in mobile robot navigation. The new mechanism is validated by analyzing scanning data to reconstruct 3D obstacle shapes. Because the mechanism is designed for use in a mobile robot, we also investigate the effect of mobile robot movement on perceived 3D obstacle shapes.