A Mobile Platform for Nursing Robots

This paper describes a computer-controlled vehicle which is part of a nursing robot system currently under development at the Technion-Israel Institute for Technology. The platform of this vehicle can also be used for household robots. Design considerations, control algorithms, and the necessary sensory devices are discussed. The vehicle applies a motion control strategy which avoids slippage and minimizes position errors. Experimental results, performed on a prototype vehicle, are described as well.