Robot and software
RecordTurtleBot3 model, hardware revision, OpenCR and SBC firmware, ROS 2 distribution, package commits, sensor serials and battery condition.
Reject whenDo not test a mixed or undocumented ROS/hardware configuration.
Level-six engineering validation protocol · 03
TurtleBot3 bounded-site navigation acceptance protocol
A sixth-level acceptance route that connects an exact TurtleBot3 build, ROS 2 environment, map, transforms and recovery behaviour to one declared indoor operating zone.
Evidence statusSupervised indoor prototype protocol · not approval for public or unattended servicePrimary sources checked 4 August 2026
Protocol scope
Define what will be evidenced—and what this protocol does not authorise.
For supervised TurtleBot3 navigation in one mapped indoor test zone with controlled lighting, floor, obstacles and access. It evaluates a declared configuration and route set; it excludes stairs, roads, lifts, crowds and unsupervised service.
Configuration baseline
Before motion, freeze the physical system, software environment and operating envelope.
Map and frames
RecordMap hash and date, map/odom/base transforms, footprint, sensor frames, inflation parameters and declared keep-out zones.
Reject whenReject stale, distorted or frame-inconsistent maps.
Site contract
RecordOperating hours, floor condition, doorway widths, dynamic-obstacle policy, supervisor position, stop control and route list.
Reject whenNo run when the site differs materially from the declared contract.
Staged verification
Open only one new energy, motion or autonomy envelope at a time.
01 · Static bring-up and health
Advancement needs evidence; stopping needs an owner.MethodWith wheels raised or motion disabled, verify power, diagnostics, topic rates, timestamps, transforms, sensor orientation and command timeout.
Evidence to preserveLaunch manifest, diagnostics snapshot, topic/TF record and software baseline.
Advance whenRequired data are fresh, correctly framed and stable for the declared observation period.
Stop immediatelyStale sensors, TF discontinuity, clock mismatch, undervoltage or command persisting beyond timeout.
02 · Manual low-speed envelope
Advancement needs evidence; stopping needs an owner.MethodIn a clear zone, teleoperate straight, reverse and rotate at capped speed; test stop, communications loss and obstacle clearance.
Evidence to preserveCommand/odometry trace, stopping distance, clearance photos, event and intervention log.
Advance whenDirection, footprint, odometry and stop response match the declared configuration.
Stop immediatelyUnexpected direction, wheel slip outside assumptions, collision, delayed stop or unstable power.
03 · Map localisation verification
Advancement needs evidence; stopping needs an owner.MethodLocalise from multiple declared start poses and compare pose stability, scan alignment and recovery after a bounded perturbation.
Evidence to preserveMap hash, start-pose matrix, localisation traces, screenshots and failed initialisations.
Advance whenLocalisation stays within the predeclared tolerance for every accepted start zone.
Stop immediatelyPose jumps, persistent scan mismatch, unbounded recovery or ambiguous floor geometry.
04 · Route and obstacle matrix
Advancement needs evidence; stopping needs an owner.MethodRun each declared route in both directions across representative static and supervised dynamic-obstacle cases; include blocked-path and no-path trials.
Evidence to preserveRoute matrix, planner/controller configuration, success definition, recovery sequence, near misses and interventions.
Advance whenAcceptance thresholds are met without changing criteria after observing results.
Stop immediatelyContact, entry into keep-out space, repeated oscillation, unsafe recovery or sensor-source timeout.
05 · Shift acceptance and regression
Advancement needs evidence; stopping needs an owner.MethodRepeat a smaller golden route set after restart, battery change and representative environmental variation; record a release or rejection decision.
Evidence to preserveGolden-route results, environment record, battery data, regressions, release signature and retest triggers.
Advance whenRelease only this configuration, map, route set and supervised site contract.
Stop immediatelyAny material change to map, footprint, sensor, firmware, site layout or operating mode triggers reassessment.
Acceptance claims
Every conclusion carries both a measurement and an applicability boundary.
Navigation is bounded and repeatable
How it is measuredA predeclared route matrix records attempts, success, time, interventions, near misses and failure categories.
Claim boundaryResults apply only to the declared site and configuration.
Failure response is evidenced
How it is measuredBlocked path, localisation loss, sensor timeout, communication loss and stop input lead to documented bounded outcomes.
Claim boundaryCollision-monitoring software does not replace an independently designed safety system.
Release state is reconstructable
How it is measuredRobot, software, map, parameters, site contract and golden routes are versioned as one release record.
Claim boundaryA change outside the record invalidates the acceptance claim until retested.
Evidence pack & boundaries
Enable the next engineer to review, reproduce, reject or approve the next step.
Minimum evidence pack
- Hardware/software manifest and diagnostics baseline
- Map, TF, footprint, parameters and site contract
- Manual envelope and stopping evidence
- Route, obstacle, failure and intervention matrix
- Golden regression set, release decision and retest triggers
This protocol cannot replace
- Not approval for stairs, roads, lifts or crowds
- Not evidence for unattended service
- Not a substitute for applicable machinery, electrical or workplace assessment
FUURAA analysis
The reusable product is decision evidence—not one successful demonstration.
A mobile robot is not accepted because it reaches one goal. It is accepted only when configuration, map, site, route distribution, interventions and failures form one reviewable contract—and when any material change clearly triggers reassessment.
Primary sources