Researchers at AIST, Keio University, and Muratec have teamed up to deliver an autonomous, omnidirectional cart delivery robot known as MKR-003. What does the MKR-003 offer? Well, it might not be a looker by any means, but it is capable of pushing and dragging trolleys with a weight of up to 30kg. It will not see action on the battlefield though, since its primary use is meant to be in hospitals, working as a drug mule of sorts. The MKR-003 is smart enough to avoid obstacles when navigating through its environment thanks to a combination of SLAM and local external sensors which can be quickly deployed. A stereo camera rig in located in its head, while ultrasonic sensors are located around the middle with a laser range finder in its base.
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