Elder care robot trial participants recognize mobile robot as 'very safe'

Dec 9 2009

GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. (PINKSHEETS: GCKO) (http://www.geckosystems.com/) announced today that their many years of focus on mobile robot safety has been recognized by their evaluation trial participants as "very safe." GeckoSystems is a dynamic leader in the emerging Mobile Service Robot industry revolutionizing their development and usage with "Mobile Robot Solutions for Safety, Security and Service™."

"I have been pleased and a little surprised at my mother's reaction to her new personal companion robot, the CareBot™. She likes it! She is not at all intimidated when it talks to her and/or moves about! It is apparent to me that safety was very important to the CareBot's inventors. There are no moving or extending parts that might be hazardous. And it avoids obstacles reliably, too," said the baby boomer caregiver.

GeckoSystems has focused on mobile robot safety for over ten years. Their first product, a family care robot, has multiple layers of safety precautions. These safeguards are enabled three ways: mechanical, electronic, and using computer software. First, the robot is very stable and difficult to tip over since nearly seventy percent of its weight is less than eight inches above the floor and sits low between large, ten-inch diameter wheels. The wheels are wide and soft enough such that if the robot did go over a child's arm, for example, it would not break the skin or any bones. Second, multiple layers of sensors are fused to provide a safety umbrella to enable actionable situational awareness. Going outward from the center of the CareBot is the GeckoTactileShroud™, which detects where on its shroud it has been bumped by people or animals. The CompoundedSensorArray™ detects virtually everything in the front and to the sides of this fully autonomous mobile robot up to thirty inches. Obstacles more distant are detected by twin ultrasonic rangefinders. Third, the advanced AI navigation software, GeckoNav™, takes in the hundreds of sensor readings per second and using its high level situational awareness, consistently avoids unforeseen static and/or dynamic obstacles for safe movements.

"So while some scientists, lawyers mull effects of home robots and how mobile robots will be safe around humans, we have been designing and building actual personal companion robots for over ten years. We are now doing the world's first in-home evaluation trials to realistically determine -- in part -- how safe our first mobile robot product, the CareBot, really is. We are truly producing 'mobile robot solutions for safety, security and service,'" observed Martin Spencer, President/CEO, GeckoSystems.

Like an automobile, mobile robots are made from steel, aluminum, plastic, and electronics, but with ten to twenty times the amount of software running. The CareBot has a lightweight aluminum frame, plastic shroud, two independently driven wheels, multiple sensor systems, microprocessors and several onboard computers connected in a local area network (LAN). The microprocessors directly interact with the sensor systems and transmit data to the onboard computers. The onboard computers each run independent, highly specialized cooperative/subsumptive artificial intelligence (AI) software programs, GeckoSavants, which interact to complete tasks in a timely, intelligent and common sense manner. GeckoNav™, GeckoChat™ and GeckoTrak™ are primary GeckoSavants. GeckoNav is responsible for all fully autonomous maneuvering, such as avoiding dynamic and/or static obstacles, running errands and patrolling. GeckoChat is responsible for interaction with the care-receiver such as answering questions, assisting with daily routines and reminders, and responding to other verbal commands. GeckoTrak, which is mostly transparent to the user, enables the CareBot to maintain proximity to the care receiver using sensor fusion. The CareBot is an internet appliance that is accessible for remote video/audio monitoring and telepresence.

"We continue to look forward to further exploration and understanding of the family's, care receiver's and CareBot's social interaction in the coming weeks and months of these family care robot trials. With the world's first home trials progressing nicely with no unforeseen problems, we have already learned a great deal as to the reality of not only safety considerations, but also beneficial social interaction between human and robot in domestic settings. There seems to be a very important positive impact for valued, extended family behaviors using a CareBot to communicate their thoughts and feelings to their cherished elderly family members," concluded Spencer.