GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. GOSY http://www.geck

GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. GOSY

http://www.geckosystems.com/) -- announced today that they applaud multi-national electronics giant Panasonic's recognition of the need for utilitarian mobile service robots to assist Japan's rapidly growing elderly population.

GeckoSystems has successfully completed Alpha trials of its CareBot personal assistance robot for the elderly. It was tested in home care settings and received enthusiastic support from both caregivers and care receivers. The company believes that the CareBot will increase the safety and well-being the elderly world wide, relieving stress on the care giving family and government welfare institutions.

GeckoSystems is preparing for Beta testing of the CareBot prior to full-scale production and marketing. The CareBot has recently incorporated Microsoft Kinect depth cameras that result in a significant cost reduction.

Footage from the CareBot Elder Care Alpha Trial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxK46chfP6A

Above, the CareBot demonstrates static and dynamic obstacle avoidance as it backs in and out of a narrow and cluttered alley. Unlike most of the developmental stage robots backed my major corporations, there is no joystick control or programmed path. GeckoNav(tm) uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create three low levels of obstacle avoidance: reactive, proactive, and contemplative. Subsumptive AI behavior enables the CareBot to reach its target destination after engaging in obstacle avoidance. GeckoSystems plans to provide robotic products for many consumer and commercial applications including security, defense and healthcare.

Kinect Enabled Personal Robot video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn93BS44Das

About the CareBot(tm):

The CareBot has proven to be ideal for the Personal Assistance market (care for children, chronically ill, and the elderly) which has been chronicled in articles from Psychology Today ( http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/adventure...e-carebot) and subject-related blogs ( http://cgmasi.com/eyeontechnology/2009/06/per...igns.html). In this market, mobile service robots (MSRs) serve as a cost effective alternative to nursing care or assisted living. The estimated annual savings for a single family is in the tens of thousands of dollars: http://www.geckosystems.com/markets/CareBot_ROI.php

The CareBot has multiple layers of safety precautions. These safeguards are enabled three ways: mechanical, electronic, and using AI computer software.

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.
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(tm), which detects where on its shroud it has been bumped by people or animals. The GeckoImager(tm) detects virtually everything in the front and to the sides of this fully autonomous mobile robot up to sixty inches. Obstacles more distant are detected by twin ultrasonic rangefinders.
The advanced AI navigation software, GeckoNav(tm), 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.

Like an automobile, the CareBot is made from steel, aluminum, plastic and electronics, but with up to 20 times the amount of software running. It has an aluminum frame, plastic shroud, two independently driven wheels, multiple sensor systems, microprocessors and several onboard computers connected by 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. GeckoSuper(tm), GeckoNav(tm), GeckoChat(tm), GeckoScheduler(tm) and GeckoTrak(tm) are primary, high level GeckoSavants. GeckoNav is responsible for maneuvering, avoiding dynamic and/or static obstacles, seeking waypoints 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 a new type of Internet appliance, a personal assistant life support robot, which is accessible for remote video/audio monitoring and telepresence.