A mobile robot for transport applications in hospital domain with safe human detection algorithm

We have been developing a MKR (Muratec Keio Robot), an autonomous omni-directional mobile transfer robot system for hospital applications. This robot has a wagon truck to transfer luggage, important specimens and other materials. This study proposes a safe obstacle collision avoidance technique that includes a human detection algorithm for omni directional mobile robots that realizes a safe movement technology. The robot can distinguish people from others obstacles with human detection algorithm. The robot evades to people more safely by considering its relative position and velocity with respect to them. Some experiments in a hospital were carried out to verify the performance of the human detection algorithm. Moreover, the simulation results have confirmed that the robot can reach the goal without colliding with static and dynamic obstacles.