Improved performance of an automated guided vehicle by using a smart diagnostics tool

The test bed for the Measurement Science Program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) includes a robot arm on a rail, conveyers, mannequins and a custom designed automated guided vehicle (AGV). The NIST AGV includes an onboard personal computer and control software, safety sensors, and an absolute positioning sensor system among other useful and research tools, sensors and equipment. A NIST-developed, smart diagnostic tool was used to design, adjust, and monitor vehicle parameters and control algorithms to enable robust autonomous vehicle control. The NIST Diagnostics Tool and its application to the NIST AGV are presented in this paper.