CMU engineering students develop mobile robot prototype for real-time object tracking

What if robots could track objects in real-time with ease? That’s exactly what a team of engineering students at Central Michigan University set out to accomplish with PIXBOT, an innovative autonomous mobile robot designed for pigment-based object tracking.

Kyle Kieser and Gavin Kelly, students from CMU’s School of Engineering and Technology, led the research under the supervision of Dr. Md Rafiul Kabir, with the goal of creating a cost-effective and efficient tracking system for automation and robotics applications. Think sorting, transportation, and assembly—areas where precision and speed are key.

At the heart of PIXBOT’s capabilities is the Pixy2 camera, a high-performance vision sensor that simplifies object detection by providing preprocessed color data. In simple terms, this means less computational overhead and improved tracking precision, making the system both powerful and practical for industrial and consumer applications.

When put to the test, PIXBOT proved its ability to track objects effectively while also avoiding potential collisions, thanks to safety margins configured in PixyMon software. The results show that this approach has real potential for improving autonomous navigation, which could have big implications for robotics and automation in various industries.

The research has gained recognition and will be presented at the IEEE 4th International Conference on Computing and Machine Intelligence (ICMI). Kyle Kieser, the lead author, will showcase the findings, putting CMU’s contributions to robotics and intelligent systems on the global stage.

CMU’s School of Engineering and Technology remains committed to fostering innovation and hands-on learning opportunities for students. PIXBOT is a perfect example of how CMU engineers are pushing boundaries and shaping the future of automation.

For more information on this research or the School of Engineering and Technology, visit se.cmich.edu/SET.