iRobot AVA makes a big impression
Invent-O-Doc
Posts: 768
In the course of my work, I got to visit iRobot's (Roomba autonomous vacuum) R&D labs yesterday. Although I can't say what I saw there, it certainly was very very cool.
One thing I can share is this new platform they are developing called AVA See http://www.irobot.com/ava/
It was presented to me as a telepresence robot and had an iPad on it. The thing gets shorter while moving and "stands up" when still. It had a primesense 3D sensing system (like kinect), a ground lidar for mapping rooms, autonomous navigation capability, human following, hazard avoidance, and a gazillion other cool things. The sucker can go 2m/sec all by itself (normally 1.2). It had a lot of computing power on board (PC equivalent)
What was most interesting thing about the trip was that they began making things that looked a lot like the robots we see at the UPEs and it was great to see what maturation and integration of the technologies can do.
I know we were predicting ubiquitous robots and flying cars in our future for many years now, but for the first time, I feel that we are getting to a tipping point where the robotization of our living and working environments are possible in the next 15-20 years
I also think that prop II based robots could become very sophisticated, but it will require a community to share and build control and behavioral modules (Obex) to do more than the toy-like behaviors we have now.
Your thoughts?
One thing I can share is this new platform they are developing called AVA See http://www.irobot.com/ava/
It was presented to me as a telepresence robot and had an iPad on it. The thing gets shorter while moving and "stands up" when still. It had a primesense 3D sensing system (like kinect), a ground lidar for mapping rooms, autonomous navigation capability, human following, hazard avoidance, and a gazillion other cool things. The sucker can go 2m/sec all by itself (normally 1.2). It had a lot of computing power on board (PC equivalent)
What was most interesting thing about the trip was that they began making things that looked a lot like the robots we see at the UPEs and it was great to see what maturation and integration of the technologies can do.
I know we were predicting ubiquitous robots and flying cars in our future for many years now, but for the first time, I feel that we are getting to a tipping point where the robotization of our living and working environments are possible in the next 15-20 years
I also think that prop II based robots could become very sophisticated, but it will require a community to share and build control and behavioral modules (Obex) to do more than the toy-like behaviors we have now.
Your thoughts?
Comments
My first impression of the Ava is, flatten out the base, so can slide under a hospital bed, have a telescoping neck so it can reach the patient bed level, and an interactive face on the iPad, so it can check on some patients, or at least ask "How are you feeling?", without making it seem like they are doing you favor..
From the looks of this platform, the only companies that will be able to afford it will be hospitals. I don't suppose that they gave any hint as to what something like this will cost?
Ray
I recommended that they make a second form factor that is rectangular and low as a base for devices and carts. I said a code cart that automatically travels to the source of an alarm would be a killer application.
They are looking seriously at a lot of healthcare applications.