From Concept to Reality: Developing Sidewalk Robots for Real-World Research and Operation in Public Space

Mobile robots operating on sidewalks promise to automate various tasks of public life. At present, however, such robots are still a relatively new and rarely encountered technology. In Germany, these robots are operated in the context of isolated pilot tests. There are only a few commercial operators and just as few publicly accessible documented robot developments and test operations by research institutions. Yet it is research in a real-world setting that is essential for the development and validation of systems and algorithms. In this contribution, we present a research robot platform for use on sidewalks in public space: Using delivery robots as a practical example, a mobile robot was developed, equipped for real-world research, and approved for manual and automated deployment on streets and sidewalks in the German city of Lauenburg/Elbe. This paper presents the development process adapted from common automotive technical standards, describes the identified requirements for the robot, the derived robot concept, and finally its implementation in an approved prototype delivery robot. In particular, we discuss remaining limitations and present extensive lessons learned. In this way, we not only comprehensively present the current requirements for such robots and how to implemented them, but also support further research in this relevant field

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620: Engineering

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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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thiel_en_2023.pdf

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730.12 KB

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From Concept to Reality: Developing Sidewalk Robots for Real-World Research and Operation in Public Space