Research in mobile robotics at ORNL/CESAR

The authors review ongoing and planned research with mobile autonomous robots at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Center for Engineering Systems Advanced Research (CESAR). Results obtained with the robot HERMIES-IIB in navigation, intelligent sensing, learning, and onboard parallel computing in support of these functions are reported. An experiment with HERMIES-IIB that demonstrates the capability of smooth transitions between robot autonomy and tele-operation is described. Ongoing R&D with the new mobile robot HERMIES-III, which is equipped with a seven degree-of-freedom research manipulator arm, is summarized.<>