Near-Term
Goals
I envision the Robot and supporting
Controls hardware and software to be a 2 year development effort, sold
initially as a tool for applied robotics research to Universities across
the country. Today’s robotics research in vision, tactile sensing,
object manipulation and grasping, possess state-of-the-art technology,
but lack the applied research requirements which a Personal Assistant
could provide. Moreover, a "research platform" is the ideal
catalyst for fusing Electrical engineering, Mechanical engineering, Controls
engineering and Artificial Intelligence into major cooperatives, whose
successful technical contribution could be licensed for improved models
of the Personal Assistant. This technology could see very
rapid growth from existing, yet unapplied, University research.
Future Commercial
Applications
Robotic applications outside the
University research laboratory will be realized 2-3 years after initial
University involvement. This "second-generation" technology will
be commercially attractive for two reasons, namely, ease of programming
and manipulation of objects made for human hands. Examples of possible
commercial users of this technology include:
Utility companies:
-
High risk maintenance areas of nuclear
power facilities.
-
High risk hazardous waste cleanup.
-
High voltage power line maintenance
and repair.
Municipalities:
-
Remotely conducted bomb detection, containment
and disposal.
-
Remote interior reconnaissance of houses
or buildings (anti-terrorist).
-
Roving, remote building security with
sensitive audio /visual enhancements.
Armed Services:
-
Remote, high risk reconnaissance, surveillance
and lethal gas detection.
-
Remote, high risk strategic defenses.
-
Disarming and disposal of outdated Ordinance.
-
Piloting of Experimental Aircraft.
-
Audio, video and data storage and retrieval
center- example: medical assistant, equipment repair
assistant, language translator, etc.
Aerospace:
-
Remote assembly of international Space
Station.
-
Remote (outer) Space Station maintenance.
-
Remote planetary exploration.
Entertainment:
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Special Effects.
-
Films dedicated to a robotics theme.
-
Gladiator Events.
