The purpose of this research was to determine the feasibility of a laser-based positioning system as a primary navigation method. The system developed for this research consisted of an automated guided vehicle which navigated solely with the use of the laser-based positioning system in real-time. To date, there are no systems which can navigate a pre-defined path using such a positioning system. Some lessons were learned by the researcher, however, concerning the viability of this system in an industrial environment. The system should have had the following advantages over previous systems: 1) Greater range, 2) no prior structuring of environment, 3) real-time navigation, and 4) no reliance on dead-reckoning for navigation. The results showed that goals two through four had been met and are advantages of this system over current systems. The range of this system is limited, however, but it is believed that the next generation system should have greater range than the system used in this research.

Master of Science