Thesis Type: Postgraduate
Institution Of The Thesis: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Turkey
Approval Date: 2013
Student: MUHAMMET KASIM GÖNÜLLÜ
Co-Supervisor: AHMET BUĞRA KOKU, ERHAN İLHAN KONUKSEVEN
Abstract:Robotics is an interdisciplinary subject and combines mechanical, computer and electrical engineering components together to solve different kinds of problems. In order to build robotic systems, these disciplines should be integrated. Therefore, mobile robots can be used as a tool in education for teaching engineering concepts. They can be employed to be used in undergraduate, graduate and doctorate research. Hands on experience on a mobile robot increase motivation of the students on the topic and give them precious practical knowledge. It also delivers students new skills like teamwork, problem solving, creativity, by executing robotic exercises. To be able to fulfill these outcomes, universities and research centers need mobile robot platforms that are modular, easy to build, cheap and flexible. However it should be also powerful and capable of being used in different research studies and hence be customizable depending on the requirements of these topics. This thesis aims at building an indoor mobile robot that can be used as a platform for developing algorithms involving various sensors incorporated onto a mobile platform. More precisely, it can be used as a base for indoor navigation and localization algorithms, as well as it can be used as platform for developing algorithms for larger autonomous mobile robots. The thesis work involves the design and manufacturing of a mobile robot platform that can potentially facilitate mobile robotics research that involves use of various hardware to develop and test different perception and navigation algorithms.