Design of a three-wheel omni-directional mobile robot base module : a thesis in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Mechatronics at Massey University, Turitea Campus, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Abstract

In this research, the aim is to develop a modular autonomous mobile robot base that has a certain degree of flexibility and cost effectiveness for some indoor mobile robot applications that may have limited maneuverable space. The structure of the mobile robot and the wheel design are the major investigation areas. A modular mobile robot construction that is able to quickly integrate with different wheels and add on sub-systems has been developed for this project. The experiments made on the test model are positive.

In this project, the mobile robot is built with omni-directional wheels. The omni-directional wheels make the mobile robot maneuverable in its motions. The shape of the mobile robot, base and number of wheels that are mounted on the mobile robot were decided based on the structure of the omni-directional wheels.

Modular design makes the omni-directional mobile robot a very practical application. Most of the parts in the omni-directional mobile robot can be easily replaced and reused. The mobile robot itself is constrained to be one that is inexpensive and simple. This would allow others to replicate its concept and improve on it. The control system can be improved by simply replacing the control circuit board on the mobile robot. The new control system can be easily integrated with the peripheral devices, such as motors and sensors. Moreover, the size of the mobile robot base is adjustable , which makes this base design valuable for those who are interested in the development of omni-directional robot applications but are concerned about the size of the robot.