Final Thesis: Cleaning Strategy for Service Robots in Presence of a Mobile Robot Fleet

Abstract: This thesis investigates obstacle avoidance strategies for cleaning robots in industrial environments with a present Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) fleet and presents a comparative evaluation of these strategies. The study aims to enable safe and efficient navigation for cleaning robots by addressing the challenge of obstacle avoidance. A comprehensive system architecture is proposed based on a thorough literature review of obstacle avoidance techniques. The system is implemented and tested with Robot Operating System (ROS) and the simulation environment Gazebo. The implemented obstacle avoidance strategies are evaluated using three comparable metrics: cleaning time, reached coverage, and multi-coverage. The best-performing strategies depending on the user’s preferences are the follow-reorder and the replan strategy. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into obstacle avoidance strategies for cleaning robots in industrial environments.

Keywords: ROS 2, robot fleet, cleaning robots

PDF: Master Thesis

Reference: Meike Blöcher. Cleaning Strategy for Service Robots in Presence of a Mobile Robot Fleet. Master Thesis. Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg: 2023.