ACS Applied Computer Science

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Systematic drift characterization in differential wheeled robot using external VR tracking: Effects of route complexity and motion dynamics

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Industrial mobile robots face critical positioning challenges that impact manufacturing efficiency, warehouse automation productivity, and biomedical service delivery. This paper presents a reproducible framework for quantifying odometric drift in differential-drive robots, validated by consumer-grade, low-cost VR tracking. Applications include industrial automation calibration, warehouse logistics management, and precision biomedical device positioning. Through more than 750 automated experimental trials spanning a comprehensive matrix of motor configurations and path geometries, the results show that both path complexity and turn size significantly influence drift patterns. Specifically, routes with higher geometric complexity (12-15 segments) exhibited 22% greater position error than simpler paths. The analysis used advanced metrics such as the Normalized Drift Contribution Index. The results confirm robust, high-resolution drift analysis and provide a low-cost validation tool for robot calibration in manufacturing and medical instrumentation. The work provides actionable insights for optimizing robot programming, calibration, and curriculum design, and establishes a scalable protocol for benchmarking autonomous navigation systems in real-world scenarios. In addition, the methodology enables data-driven decision making for robot fleet management, reducing operational downtime compared to manual calibration methods, while providing quantitative performance benchmarks essential for industrial quality control standards.

  • APA 7th style
Skulimowski, S. P., Rybka, S., Tatara, B., & Welman, M. D. (2025). Systematic drift characterization in differential wheeled robot using external VR tracking: Effects of route complexity and motion dynamics. Applied Computer Science, 21(3), 117–136. https://doi.org/10.35784/acs_8089
  • Chicago style
Skulimowski, Stanisław Piotr, Szymon Rybka, Bartosz Tatara, and Michał Dawid Welman. ‘Systematic Drift Characterization in Differential Wheeled Robot Using External VR Tracking: Effects of Route Complexity and Motion Dynamics’. Applied Computer Science 21, no. 3 (2025): 117–136. https://doi.org/10.35784/acs_8089.
  • IEEE style
S. P. Skulimowski, S. Rybka, B. Tatara, and M. D. Welman, ‘Systematic drift characterization in differential wheeled robot using external VR tracking: Effects of route complexity and motion dynamics’, Applied Computer Science, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 117–136, doi: 10.35784/acs_8089.
  • Vancouver style
Skulimowski SP, Rybka S, Tatara B, Welman MD. Systematic drift characterization in differential wheeled robot using external VR tracking: Effects of route complexity and motion dynamics. Applied Computer Science. 2025; 21(3):117–136.