The CSUF unmanned utility ground robotic vehicle

Abstract

The goal for the California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) Unmanned Utility Ground Robotic Vehicle (UUGRV) project is to create a fully autonomous multi-functional modular robotic platform to experiment various possible applications in the area of ground based robotics. To achieve full automation in both indoor and outdoor environment, the robot is equipped with Differential Global Positioning System, Inertial Measurement Unit, Laser Measurement Scanner, and a X-box Kinect for indoor application. The robot's mechanical design features two independently driven wheels and pivoting casters to achieve differential drive. Speed reduction is achieved by using chain drives to allow flexibility in gear ratio for different applications. Currently, the robot is being constructed as an autonomous lawn mower and has won the 2012 ION (Institute of Navigation) robotic lawn mower competition in the static category. In the future, more hardware and software for different applications will be developed on this platform. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.