The first of three mobile robots developed by the CSIR intended for local universities were delivered to the University of Pretoria in December. The other two are heading for Stellenbosch and Cape Town respectively in the coming weeks.

The “Voyager,” is a mobile platform that aims to support research in robotics and related fields. The wheeled robot is equipped with significant processing power to run computationally expensive tasks such as mapping, path planning, localisation, and filtering. It is also equipped with a 3D LiDAR scanner, which the onboard software takes advantage of to perform obstacle avoidance. The development project was funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI).

Essentially, the robots will be used as experimental research platforms to design and develop algorithms that direct the robot’s movements and actions. It is also possible to add various types of sensors to the robot’s platform, which will help it perceive its surroundings, as well as provide more information to the algorithms. For example, using its onboard camera, the robot platform can detect its environment, map the area and recognise objects around it. An addition of an arm to the robot allows it to perform tasks such as opening doors and carrying objects. The platform is ideally built for indoor applications but can also function in selected outdoor settings such as paved roads, footpaths, and lawns.

According to Kyla Purdon, R&D Engineer at the CSIR’s Centre for Robotics and Future Production: Manufacturing, the robots will advance local innovation on the capability and uses of such platforms.

“We are providing these partner universities with the robots not only to support their research but also to share research and software to collaboratively build a body of science to be used in further developments,” Purdon explained. To this end, all human capital development projects using the Voyager platform will be funded through the DSI Artificial Intelligence in Robotics programme.

“As for future research, we developed a research framework that all partners will operate within and it includes research on the control, perception, navigation and behaviour aspects of the platforms, as well as the use of artificial intelligence to perform tasks,” Purdon concludes.

Although not the first of its kind, it is the first wholly locally CSIR-developed unit. The development period extended over two years and included multi-disciplinary CSIR technical staff in areas such as robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical/electronic engineering, artificial intelligence and sensor systems.

The first robot was presented to the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Pretoria on 11 December 2023, with others following later in the month. Anticipating the positive impact of robots on academic research, it is hoped that more funding will be made available to support more universities in this manner.