Hardware
- Autonomous mobile robot platform
- Raspberry Pi onboard compute system
- LiDAR sensing systems
- Environmental sensing hardware
- Vision-processing systems
- Mobile robotics platform
Robotics
Autonomous Crawlspace Inspection Robot
Developed an autonomous crawlspace-inspection robot using ROS2, Nav2, SLAM Toolbox, frontier exploration, AI-based hazard detection, and remote iOS-based operation.
Summary
Engineering context
Developed an autonomous crawlspace-inspection robot using ROS2, Nav2, SLAM Toolbox, frontier exploration, AI-based hazard detection, and remote iOS-based operation.
- Category
- Robotics
- Year
- Jan 2025 - Present
- Status
- Research and Prototype Development
- Context
- University of Regina MSc (Jan 2025 - Present)
My Role
Robotics and Autonomous Systems Engineer
Technical Stack
System Architecture
- ROS2 provided distributed robotic middleware architecture
- Nav2 handled autonomous navigation and path planning
- SLAM Toolbox generated real-time crawlspace mapping
- Frontier exploration enabled autonomous environment exploration
- AI perception systems detected mold growth and crawlspace hazards
- FastAPI backend enabled communication between robot systems and mobile applications
- iOS application provided remote monitoring and operation capabilities
Engineering Challenges
- Autonomous navigation in confined crawlspace environments
- Stable SLAM operation in low-feature environments
- Developing reliable frontier exploration behavior
- Integrating AI-based environmental inspection systems
- Building real-time communication between robot and mobile applications
Hardware / Firmware / Software
Firmware
- Embedded robotic control systems
- Sensor integration firmware
- Mobile robotics interface systems
Software
- ROS2
- Nav2
- SLAM Toolbox
- Frontier exploration algorithms
- FastAPI backend
- iOS application
- AI hazard-detection systems
- Environmental inspection systems
Sensors
- LiDAR systems
- Vision-based inspection systems
- Humidity monitoring systems
- Environmental monitoring sensors
Protocols
- ROS2 DDS communication
- HTTP API communication
- Wi-Fi networking
Results / Outcomes
- Successfully implemented ROS2 autonomous navigation stack
- Demonstrated SLAM-based crawlspace mapping
- Developed autonomous frontier exploration system
- Integrated AI-based mold and animal detection
- Developed remote iOS-based robot interaction platform
- Demonstrated integrated mobile robotics inspection architecture
Gallery
Engineering Notes
Autonomous Navigation and SLAM
The robot used:
- ROS2
- Nav2
- SLAM Toolbox
- LiDAR sensing
to autonomously map and navigate confined crawlspace environments.
The system generated real-time occupancy maps and supported autonomous movement through unstructured environments.
Frontier Exploration
A custom frontier-exploration system was developed to enable autonomous exploration of unknown crawlspaces.
The exploration system:
- identified unexplored map frontiers
- generated autonomous navigation goals
- expanded mapped environments automatically
- supported fully autonomous inspection workflows
AI-Based Hazard Detection
Computer-vision systems were developed and trained to detect:
- mold growth
- crawlspace animals
- environmental hazards
The AI perception pipeline enabled automated inspection and environmental analysis during autonomous exploration.
Mobile Application and Backend Integration
The robot communicated with an iOS application through a FastAPI backend running on the onboard Raspberry Pi system.
The architecture enabled:
- remote robot monitoring
- live telemetry
- map visualization
- remote interaction
- mobile robot control
The iOS application interface was developed using AI-assisted software-development workflows.
Proof-of-Concept Demonstrations
Demonstrations included:
- real-time SLAM visualization in RViz
- autonomous frontier exploration
- remote mobile interaction
- autonomous inspection workflows
The system demonstrated integration of autonomy, perception, mapping, and mobile operation into a unified inspection robotics platform.
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