Development of an RFID-Based Semi-autonomous Robotic Library Management System

A novel low-cost robotic solution is proposed to automate the library inventory management process of book arrangement with little to no human intervention. A line following robot with multiple sensors and actuators has been designed to operate on a path connecting bookshelves and the drop location. A CAD model for the robot is designed and various subsystems have been described in detail. The riser subsystem has been simulated to evaluate the design parameters with a desirable factor of safety. The working principle of the robot and control algorithms involved in path planning and locomotion has then been discussed through the electronic architecture and software stack sections. A simple PID control scheme for lower-level actuation has been used to control the four traction motors. The feasibility of the proposed scheme is then validated with the development of a simple pilot prototype.