Development of a Mobile Robot Platform for Smart Warehouse Managementtt

This research project, published in the Herald of Kazakh-British Technical University (2024), presents the design and implementation of a mobile robot platform for smart warehouse management systems. The work was conducted collaboratively with co-authors T. I. Samigulin, K. A. Mlikova, R. R. Tolengutov, D. A. Butakova, A. Z. Nakhimov, and G. L. Qasobov.

The platform was based on a modified TurtleBot3, upgraded from the Burger to the Waffle configuration, and equipped with a elevating platform mounted on a custom platform. The system was tasked with navigating through warehouse cells, transporting payloads, and placing them accurately in goal cells.

My main contribution focused on the navigation and path-planning algorithms. I developed a BFS-based planner and integrated it with ROS2 Navigation Stack (Nav2) to enable robust path planning, obstacle avoidance, and autonomous navigation. The workflow included initial testing in Gazebo simulation, followed by successful trials on the real robot platform.

Highlights:

• Published Research: Peer-reviewed article in Herald of Kazakh-British Technical University, 2024.
  
• Custom Robot Platform: Adapted TurtleBot3 Burger into Waffle with robotic arm and load-carrying platform.
  
• Navigation Algorithm: Developed a BFS-based planner integrated with ROS2 for reliable navigation and obstacle avoidance.
  
• Simulation & Real-World Testing: Validated algorithms in Gazebo before conducting experiments on the physical robot.
  
• Smart Warehouse Application: Demonstrated efficient inventory transportation and placement in dynamic environments.
  

Process Block Diagram

Results

Presentation of the project:

This project showcased how simulation-driven development and robust navigation algorithms can be effectively transferred to real-world mobile robots, contributing to the advancement of smart warehouse automation.