Prototype of mobile manipulator for on-desk and under-desk work

Abstract

The paper describes a prototype mobile manipulator to perform garbage collection tasks. The mobile manipulator consists of a 7 d.o.f. manipulator and an omni-directional mobile mechanism. An RGB-D sensor is mounted on the body for recognition of a target object and measurement of the distance to the object. The mobile manipulator is controlled by a tele-operator with a wireless controller for moving. In manipulation, a target object is recognized and grasped by the manipulator automatically. In the experiment, the mobile manipulator was moved to near a desk by a tele-operator, and the manipulator automatically grasps a target object on the desk.