At the International Robot Exhibition 2009, Tokyo University’s Information and Robot Technology Initiative presented indoor personal mobility.
This prototype for indoor personal mobility can be operated just by moving the user’s center of gravity. It was developed to support independent living by seniors amidst the growing trend of smaller families.
The six-way force sensor beneath the seat automatically detects the user’s center of gravity and how the user is turning. In addition, pressure sensors in the seat back, seat, and footrest detect the position of the feet, to estimate the user’s intentions. In this way, the mobility aid itself considers behavior patterns when deciding whether to go forward, reverse, or turn.
The headrest also has a camera, enabling the robot to use optical flow to recognize other people’s gestures and move toward them. It also has a rear camera, which enables the robot to move from its current position to a designated position indoors by recognizing complex patterns printed on the floor, which can’t be deciphered by people.
This prototype is 66 cm wide, 64 cm from front to back, and 1 m 30 cm high. It weighs 45 kg. From now on, the development team will make it more compact, with the aim of producing a commercial version in a few years.
Related Links :
-
http://www.irt.i.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index_e.shtml
-
http://www.nikkan.co.jp/eve/irex/english/index.html (International Robot Exhibition 2009)
