namics
adero is being created to autonomously deliver a broad range of goods in indoor environments, combining state of the art technology with a simple, yet appealing design.
Our title sponsor Jelmoli, Switzerland’s leading premium department store, will enter our robot into service in 2020 at Zurich Airport. It will deliver goods ordered in the online store to predefined pick-up points across the airport, providing a unique customer experience.
The final prototype will be revealed at the focus project roll-out event at ETH Zurich,
scheduled for May 28th 2019.
Click here to learn more.
adero’s appearance incorporates pleasant and simple shapes, giving it an attentive and trustworthy demeanour. It blends into public and busy environments, while still drawing attention to itself.
adero actively interacts with its surroundings and aims to build relationships with the people it encounters on its way. It gains the audiences’ attention using sound as well as light and transmits its current condition by the same means. As adero arrives at its destination, it will display its trustworthy and friendly character, enabling a novel, yet intuitive interaction experience.
The knowledge of adero’s exact position is crucial to enable autonomous indoor delivery. The necessary technology is provided by the ETH spin-off Sevensense. Before adero can set of on its first journey, the path to the pick-up points has to be taught, allowing it to map its environment using the six built-in cameras. While delivering goods, these cameras, in combination with a dedicated processing unit, then compute the position and allow adero to follow the taught path.
An elaborate sensor setup is an imperative when creating a robot capable of safely navigating a complex environment like the airport. 3D time-of-flight sensors detect the obstacles in the path ahead of adero. The obtained sensor data is processed and then fed into advanced path planning algorithms capable of leading adero around the obstacles, though staying on course towards the customer. An extra security layer is provided by a set of ultrasonic sensors placed around adero, monitoring close range dangers.
The main structure is composed of an innovative combination of carbon fibre tubes and 3D printed links, providing great sturdiness while keeping the weight low. It was designed to absorb impacts and prevent the robot from tipping over, to ensure safe operation. The lower section hosts the main components, while the upper structure encloses the payload and houses adero’s various sensors.
The two-wheeled nature of our robot provides high manoeuvrability in tight spaces, though requires a sophisticated locomotion and stabilisation system. A high-performance sensor to measure the robots motion provides accurate information to the computer running the stabilisation algorithm. The calculated inputs are passed to the motors 400 times each second to balance the robot robustly and to pursue the planned path.
Interaction Design
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Industrial Design
Mechanical Engineering
Interaction Design
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Industrial Design
Lukas Bösch – Student BA Film, for the animated trailer
Eva Grätzer – Student BA Cast / Audiovisual Media ZHdK, for photos and videos from the airport
Joel Hunn – Photographer, for our portrait photos
Tobias Jud – Student BA Trends & Identity ZHdK, for our presentation videos
Fabian Keller – Student BA Art Education ZHdK, for our team photos
Patrycja Pakiela – Student MA Sound Design ZHdK, for the sound design
adero is a focus project at ETH Zurich in cooperation with ZHdK for students in their final year of undergraduate studies. Over the course of two semesters, starting in September 2018, we will apply our technical knowledge to develop a product from scratch.
adero@ethz.ch +41 44-632-85-73
ETH Zurich | Focusproject Adero
LEE J 206
Leonhardstrasse 21
8092 Zurich
Switzerland
28-05-2019:
download here