Error detection on precise laser scanner based navigation

Autonomous guided vehicles have major benefits in terms of a rail bound conveyor technology because they are able to respond flexibly to changes in the application area. In many areas, safety-related position detection is necessary to avoid accidents. Derived from this position the driving speed in the work areas can be reduced in a safe way and minimum distances can also be observed in a safe manner. For this purpose, it is necessary to permanently control the measured position with regard to the disturbance variables and precision of measurements and in case of a deviation they have to be corrected in a highly reliable way. The solutions that are known so far do all imply two sensors that monitor each other. In the approach shown here, the required diagnostic coverage for a safety-related position determination is achieved through the use of only one laser scanner as well as through the help of algorithms that are implemented in a safety-related evaluation control. The focus of this paper is set on the position and orientation errors that are caused by measurement deviations.