Automatic transportation system for tables by a mobile robot with multiple lift up mechanisms

In this research, an autonomous robot system is developed for a table transportation, which is motivated by the fact that tables are heavy and frequently transported in daily life. As the process of the table transportation, the robot recognizes tables, moves under the table, lifts up the bottom side, and transports it. In this strategy, the robot must hold around the center of gravity of the table to avoid falling. Therefore, the robot is equipped with pressure sensors to measure the center of gravity and adjust the lift up position. The robot is also equipped with lift up mechanisms with independent four support points developed for stably lifting up the table even when there are something on the table. Thus, this paper describes the details of the developed robot system, the equipped functions, and the experimental results for an automatic table layout.