ABSTRACT
In simple terms, a robot is defined as a machine with certain degrees of intelligence. In comparison with the manipulators, mobile robotics is still a relatively young area of research. Autonomy is another significant factor that determines the complexity of mobile robot systems. Mobile robots have to deal with different environmental conditions. The basic difference between the manipulators and mobile robots is that the latter have to interact with surrounding environments. A number of diverse applications have called for mobile robots, especially outdoors. Planetary exploration was the earliest application of outdoor mobile robots. The typical robotic rover was Curiosity, which was launched in 2011. It was designed for exploring Gale Crater on Mars as part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory. The forest industry is another field that always has a strong desire to embrace mobile robotic systems. The chapter also presents an overview of this book.
