A Beacon-based Docking System for an Autonomous Mobile Robot

Abstract

We propose an autonomous docking system for a mobile robot which helps the robot to dock at a specific location with a particular orientation. This system uses active IR beacons which transmit infrared signals all through out the workspace. The beacons are placed in such a way that the docking target forms the midpoint of the line joining the bea-cons. The robot is equipped with an Ultrasonic Range Meter (SRF05) and a set of infrared receivers. The robot, using all its sensors, detects the beacons and successfully reaches the docking-target with the required orientation. Several experi-ments are conducted and the results prove the efficacy of the docking system.