Fraunhofer IPA: New generation of household robots

Commercialisation opportunity

Research at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, has resulted in the development of a proprietary quick-to-learn, 1 metre 43 centimetre high, household robot prototype named Care-O-bot 3. The inventors are looking for partners to commercialise this technology.

The robot has one arm with 7 degrees of freedom and three fingers which the manufacturers Schunk have provided with force sensors allow the robots to grip small objects like glasses without too much force. Care-O-bot 3 is fitted with sensors, stereo-vision colour cameras, laser scanners and a 3-D range camera that allows the robot to record its surrounding in three dimension in real time.

It can distinguish humans from objects, and can move in any direction. Birgit Graf, of the IPA, says: “This is made possible by an omnidirectional platform with four separately steered and driven wheels. In this way the robot can even pass safely through narrow places in an apartment.”

Another feature of Care-O-bot 3 is a tray fitted with a touch-screen via which it can be controlled and on which it can transport various household items. The robot can also be controlled remotely as it is voice controlled. Care-O-bot 3 is capable of storing three-dimensional images of objects that it will later recognise once the object has been placed in its hand.

Despite the actions of Care-O-bot 3 being akin to human behaviour, the inventors have emphasised the fact that human features were purposely avoided in its design.

Graf says: “As an applied research institution we are developing and selling all key technologies as well as complete system designs for mobile service robots.”