A Smart Robotic Cart Prototype using RF Signal Strength

In this paper, we present a prototype of a smart robotic cart using radio frequency (RF) signal strength for navigation. The proposed robotic cart is cost-effective since it simply utilizes analog signal strengths to localize and follow a customer (called herein “remote”), for example. An array of RF modules (model of an antenna array), is mounted on top of the mobile robotic cart, and a remote RF module is held by the remote. The direction and the line-of-sight (LoS) distance of the remote are estimated based on signal strengths received by the RF modules mounted on the robot. The robot employs the estimated direction and the LoS distance to compute actuator commands for the robotic cart to follow the remote. The robot was first simulated using CoppeliaSim, a commercial robot simulator. A prototype was then built and used to evaluate the performance of the robot. Applications of the proposed robotic cart include, but are not limited to, delivery carts to follow mail personnel and carry the deliveries, file transfer carts in offices, hospital carts to aid nurses and doctors by carrying medicine or surgery supplies, and carts in construction sites to carry tools and other supplies across the job site.