Obstacle avoidance and orientation determination for a remote operated vehicle

In this paper, we propose a sweeping sonar obstacle avoidance method for autonomous navigation of mobile robots. The sweeping of the single sonar module using a motorized stage increase the coverage and reduce the electronics for ultrasonic modules. The orientation of the vehicle is determined using digital compass. The battery status is continuously monitored and fed back to the operator. Wireless communication is implemented for transmission of sensor data and control commands. Development of hardware and software modules for a three wheeled robot carrying sensors and its experimental results are presented.