IIT Delhi Develops Mobile Robot Capable Of Carrying Payloads Up To 100 Kg

A mobile robot called "Robomuse 5.0", which would be suitable for various industries to carry payloads up to 100 kg and perform object manipulation by installing an arm on top of it, has been developed by researchers at IIT Delhi. This mobile robot is also a good research platform for various teaching and research organisations. 

A licencing agreement has been signed between IIT Delhi’s Technology Innovation Hub, named IHFC, and a Pune-based company, SVR InfoTech, for the technology transfer of Robomuse 5.0. 

The origin of Robomuse 5.0 goes back to a robot built by IIT Delhi students for the Doordarshan-Robocon (DDR) competition in 2008. To test its reliability and robustness, it was later installed at the institute's Student Activity Centre (SAC) to move on a straight path autonomously for 24 hours until it was reported non-functional by, say, security personnel on duty. 

Over the next few years, several modifications were carried out in Robomuse as B.Tech. and M.Tech. projects based on the feedback received from time to time. The work was carried out under the supervision of Prof. S.K. Saha, Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Delhi. The robot was showcased at many exhibitions and conferences earlier, and its software is copyrighted. 

"Robomuse 5.0, with its ROS (Robot Operating System)-enabled features, has a modular mechanical design with a zero turning radius. As a result, autonomous navigation and control are very simple," Prof. S.K. Saha, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Delhi, said. 

The mobile robot, Robomuse 5.0, can have multiple applications, including the transportation of heavy items on a factory shop floor. If a manipulator is fitted on its top, the mobile manipulator can perform pick-and-place operations, e.g., to dispose of a faulty item in a bin.