Transparent integration of a real-time collision safety system to a motor control chain of a service robot

Abstract

Most service robots are built up on commercially available platforms, that need to be augmented for a particular application. A common problem is to ensure reliable behavior for real-time demanding tasks, like collision detection and emergency braking, that can not be guaranteed using top-level software functions, running on a general purpose PC. We introduce an approach of transparent integration of real-time capable hardware for robust control and propose an open-source solution for a group of platforms, controlled via standard buses. From the software perspective the basic safety functions integration is done without changing of top-level software. We demonstrate how the inherited safety problems of the particular robotic platform group can be mitigated using the given approach and present the evaluation results of the implemented solution.