iDock: A multifunctional intermediate instrument to improve efficiency of domestic delivery and storage system

This paper describes development of ldquoiDockrdquo, which is used for a container temporal stacker. iDock serves as if it is a mail-box in the post-service or a service station of the door-to-door delivery system to improve efficiency of domestic delivery and storage robot system. The instrument realizes stack of containers, recognition of contents in containers, and navigation of robots. To acquire information of contents in containers, RFID tags are attached to contents and scanned by movable RFID antenna of iDock. By experiments, it is confirmed that the movable RFID antenna is applicable to robust reading, and guide plates for human and robot can actualize smooth handing over task of containers between a user and a robot.