An integrated approach to the conceptual design and development of an intelligent autonomous mobile robot

This paper proposes a new approach to the design and development of an intelligent mobile robot and discusses the complex functional structure of such systems, providing solutions to some typical design problems. The proposed design approach provides a clearer view of the design problems from a function-oriented interdisciplinary point of view. The approach proves to be a useful tool in allowing the designer to cross the boundaries of technical disciplines and optimise the interdisciplinary system’s components, thereby improving the overall system performance. The paper also presents a case study where it takes the design problem from the most abstract level up to the final stage, in which the developed autonomous mobile robot’s specifications are verified and validated. The issues addressed in this paper include the design, development, systems integration, and experimental testing of the intelligent mobile robot.