Control Algorithms for the Mobile Robot “MAX” on a Task of Line Following Provided by Intelligent Image Processing

In the paper, we present the mobile robot “MAX” developed at the Systems Engineering Laboratory, Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten, which serves as a mock-up of an automated guided vehicle intended for transportation of materials, and connection between different parts of a production line in industry. The subject of the paper is autonomous robot motion along a specified track formed with a one-colored insulation tape marked on the surface, on which the robot moves. The paper focuses on track detection provided by real-time processing of the video stream from an installed on the front of the robot web-camera that is the key feature of this work. In the paper, brief overview on the construction of the mobile robot “MAX” is introduced, the task of line following and motion criteria are formulated, some approaches to track detection and its presentation with mean points are proposed. Three motion control algorithms which are ensued are also presented and verified with experiments on the mobile robot “MAX” to show their real appropriateness.