This paper describes the development of Phollower—an autonomous mobile robot intended to perform various logistical tasks in both industrial and civil environments. Phollower is equipped with the latest types of industrial components and sensors. It also employs advanced embedded navigation and localization software to create its own virtual maps and thereby to navigate autonomously within the mapped area. The whole development process has been focused on building a device that meets European safety standards. Phollower is a universal mobile platform that can be quickly expanded with specialized add-ons. A germicidal add-on for disinfection of indoor areas using UV-C light is described as a technology that helps to battle with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The hardware topology combined with the proposed open Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) code and open-Powerlink communication bus creates a unique and easily extendable robot platform.
Phollower—The Universal Autonomous Mobile Robot for Industry and Civil Environments with COVID-19 Germicide Addon Meeting Safety Requirements