A Mobile Robot Designed to Detect Hazardous and Explosive Materials in Airport Parking Lots

The article proposes a concept for a mobile robot designed to detect hazardous and explosive materials in airport parking lots. The problem with operating such a robot is twofold. Firstly, it must move in a dynamic environment, between vehicles that are parked or also in motion, but without stopping vehicles that are in motion. The second problem is the detection of hazardous and explosive materials. For robot mobility solutions, an obstacle analysis system based on popular, low-cost LIDAR sensors and cameras was proposed. For the detection of hazardous and explosive materials, a dual vehicle monitoring system was proposed for airport parking lots. The first is based on vision techniques, where cameras and image recognition procedures are used to examine the undercarriages of parked vehicles. This system is designed to detect unusual objects mounted on vehicle undercarriages. The second is based on the analysis of volatile substances produced by explosives and hazardous materials found under or inside car chassis and gasoline and oils. The aim of the project is to develop a functional prototype of such a robot and describe its capabilities. The article describes the preliminary findings of the research.