The research project "High-precision detection and RFID tag localization through multi-channel reception on a mobile robot platform with parallel signal processing (HERMES)" will be launched on 1 January by the Electronic Measurements and Signal Processing Group EMS at TU Ilmenau in collaboration with the Ilmenau-based robot manufacturer MetraLabs. The robot that the partners will develop will be particularly good at two things: capturing its environment as a 3D model and locating objects in space very precisely.
The RFID radio frequency reader - the heart of the HERMES robot
Highly sensitive sensor technology enables the robot to create 3D images of its surroundings, similar to a laser scanner or a 3D camera, enabling it to move independently through a room. At the heart of the HERMES robot is a special RFID radio frequency reader. Equipped with several reception channels and antennas, it helps it to receive the signals of so-called tags - small, inexpensive chips that do not require a battery and can be attached to objects - from different angles. Conventional RFID readers can recognize a tag, but cannot locate its exact position. The intelligent algorithms of the HERMES robot combine the information from the high-precision sensors via data fusion and enable very precise 3D detection and localization of the RFID tags.The HERMES robot for use in industry and retail
The modular, flexible HERMES robot will be able to move independently and reliably in industrial and retail spaces. For example, it can carry out fully automated inventory and stock checks in an industrial warehouse, independently record food stocks in a supermarket and locate objects in a factory or logistics hall.To prevent inaccuracies and unwanted deviations in all systems, which would occur over time in the respective operating environment, the robot’s entire technology automatically calibrates itself regularly on site. This prevents it from having to be laboriously transported to a laboratory for maintenance and measurement. At the end of the research project, all functions will be tested in a specially developed test environment that simulates practical operating conditions.
