Development of a Mobile Service Robot with UWB Localization for Hazard and Air Quality Detection in Multi-Room Facilities

Abstract

Environmental hazards such as undetected fires and toxic gas exposure remain a persistent threat in multi-room facilities, as illustrated by incidents like the Kartalkaya Hotel fire and Microtel Inn carbon monoxide leak. Conventional fixed sensors often fail to provide comprehensive, real-time detection and intervention across large or complex spaces. We propose and assess the feasibility of a novel autonomous mobile robot capable of both detecting and responding to fire and gas hazards through real-time localization, air purification, and user alert systems. An autonomous robot simulator was developed for evaluating navigation, localization, and gas detection in structured environments.  The system displayed advanced path-finding capabilities in 3 distinct settings while continuously testing CO exposure. Overall, the robot traversed ~53 cells in 749 steps with a UWB median error of 0.437 cells (25th 0.43, 75th 0.44) with an 80% source detection rate. These results demonstrate reliable hazard modeling, bounded UWB error, and reproducible performance across layouts, establishing a flexible platform for validating safety-critical sensing and multi-sensor fusion in autonomous systems.