Vision Robotics Corporation

Personal Robotics, Inc.

Wallach, Bret

Gollaher, David

Koselka, Harvey

David Gollaher

Harvey Koselka

Bret Wallach

Autonomous personal service robot to monitor its owner for symptoms of distress and provide assistance. The system may include sensors to detect situations before they affect people such as smoke, heat, temperature and carbon monoxide sensors. The system can provide security for the home. The PRA may comprise features such as a medicine dispenser and blood pressure cuff. Features such as broadband internet, MP3 player, reading lights and eye glass tracker provide butler type capabilities that enable the system to appeal to markets beyond the elderly and infirmed. The system may also include an X10 transmitter/receiver to automatically control various household lights and appliances. Equipping the system with a robot arm enables the robot to fetch items, turn on and off wall switches and open the refrigerator.

Autonomous personal service robot

An autonomous canister vacuum cleaner has a cleaning head module, a vacuum fan module separated from the cleaning module, and a hose assembly connecting the cleaning head module with the vacuum fan module. The vacuum fan module includes a controller that performs navigation and control functions for both the vacuum fan module and the cleaning head module. Alternatively, the controller may be separated from the vacuum fan module and the cleaning head module, and can be mobile. The vacuum fan module and the cleaning head module each include a drive mechanism for propulsion. The cleaning head module includes a cleaning brush assembly that can be motorized or air driven. The cleaning head module may also include a microcontroller that communicates with the controller.

Autonomous vacuum cleaner

A floor mopping assembly finding use in a cleaning robot. The cleaning robot may be remotely controlled or autonomous. In one embodiment, a feed roller lets out a roll of webbing or toweling, a take-up roller reels in the toweling, and a motor system causes transfer of the toweling between the feed roller and the take-up roller. A housing holds the motor system and the rollers, which are mounted in the housing such that the motor causes transfer of the webbing between the rollers. One of the rollers is configured to rest on the floor or surface so as to cause the toweling to clean the surface. In an alternative embodiment, the assembly also includes a pad to press the toweling against the surface, where the pad is mounted in the housing such that the motor causes transfer of the toweling between the rollers and between the pad and the surface.

Autonomous floor mopping apparatus

An apparatus and method for improving traction for mobile robots where traction is a concern. The mobile robot of the invention includes wheels and brushes. The wheels are mounted to the body of the robot. The brush is mounted to the body close to the wheels. When the wheels are rotating, the brush rubs against the wheel to get rid of debris on the tread of the wheel and cleans the wheel so that traction for the robot can be improved. An alternative way to improve traction by reducing slippage utilizes suction cups or wiper elements mounted on the wheel.

Apparatus and method for improving traction for a mobile robot

An autonomous mobile robot system allocates mapping, localization, planning and control functions to at least one navigator robot and allocates task performance functions to one or more functional robots. The at least one navigator robot maps the work environment, localizes itself and the functional robots within the map, plans the tasks to be performed by the at least one functional robot, and controls and tracks the functional robot during task performance. The navigator robot performs substantially all calculations for mapping, localization, planning and control for both itself and the functional robots. In one implementation, the navigator robot remains stationary while controlling and moving the functional robot in order to simplify localization calculations. In one embodiment, the navigator robot is equipped with sensors and sensor processing hardware required for these tasks, while the functional robot is not equipped with sensors or hardware employed for these purposes.

Autonomous multi-platform robot system

An autonomous mobile robot system allocates mapping, localization, planning and control functions to at least one navigator robot and allocates task performance functions to one or more functional robots. The at least one navigator robot maps the work environment, localizes itself and the functional robots within the map, plans the tasks to be performed by the at least one functional robot, and controls and tracks the at least one functional robot during task performance. The at least one navigator robot performs substantially all calculations for mapping, localization, planning and control for both itself and the functional robots. In one implementation, the at least one navigator robot remains stationary while controlling and moving the at least one functional robot in order to simplify localization calculations. In one embodiment, the at least one navigator robot is equipped with sensors and sensor processing hardware required for these tasks, while the at least one functional robot is not equipped with sensors or hardware employed for these purposes.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

David Gollaher