UrbANT – An Autonomous Delivery Robot for the Last Mile

Authors

M. Reske, M. Daher, P. Dautzenberg, M. Hötter, T. Lennartz, G. Voß, S. Ladwig, C. Brockmeier, P. Urban, L. Eckstein, ika, RWTH Aachen University; C. Henke, ifu, RWTH Aachen University

Summary

Efforts are being made worldwide to reduce traffic in city centres caused by passenger cars and commercial vehicles. However, as the demand for last mile goods transport – whether private or commercial – is constantly increasing, alternative solutions are required to green the last mile. This paper describes the development of an electric driven goods transport and delivery robot for urban areas with the size of a pram, driving on sidewalks. Offering both autonomous driving functions as well as a pedestrian following mode, the service robot will interact with its users and passers-by constantly and is therefore developed in close collaboration with potential users, following a user-centred design approach. As three final prototypes of the robot are currently in production, this paper offers an overview of the hardware development with its requirement, ocomotion system, drivetrain, automation, human-machine-interface and design.