Navigation and docking maneuvers control of an autonomous omnidirectional platform in a dynamic internal logistics environment

This paper presents a method to control and generate motion for omnidirectional mobile manipulators that operate in internal logistics scenarios. It proposes transport and maneuvering operations where human operators may coexist. Thus, to ensure that human operators can easily infer the vehicle’s movements, the vehicle preferentially performs non-holonomic (i.e., like a differential drive vehicle), and only takes advantage of holonomic movements in narrow spaces and when maneuvering. On the other hand, the docking maneuvers method enables the system to perform the approach and departure processes to the workstation or parking slot. These behaviors are orchestrated by a dedicated management controller, designing a unified solution. Simulation results demonstrate the system’s performance and robustness to perform a complex industrial service in a dynamic environment.