Solving the box-pushing problem using a spherical robot

This work presents an innovative approach to solve the box pushing problem with a spherical robot. The box pushing problem is a well known problem in robotics, used to demonstrate the advantages of multi-robot systems. The goal is to move an object (typically a box-like structured object) to a predefined location. A team of robots is used if the box is too heavy or too difficult to handle for a single robot. Additionally, the box pushing problem is relevant in many real world applications like warehouse stocking or transporting of materials in a production process. A solution to the box pushing problem using a single spherical robot is presented in this paper. The emphasis of this work was a robust solution to the box-pushing problem with real robotic hardware, rather than the multi-robot aspect of the original box-pushing problem. A fully autonomous solution is presented, consisting of a camera module for localization issues and a path planning module for controlling the spherical robot, both modules are connected via the open source Robot Operating System (ROS) framework. The final implementation is capable to reliably move the box to any arbitrary location, compensating disturbances in sensor information or varying surface frictions. The paper describes the key components of the final implementation and concludes with an outline for future extensions of the system.