Household Service Robotics

Yangsheng Xu, Huihuan Qian, Xinyu Wu

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9780128009437
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Robotics
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Copyright ©2015 Zhejiang University Press, Published by Elsevier Inc.

Household Service Robotics is a collection of the latest technological advances in household service robotics in five main areas: robot systems, manipulation, navigation, object recognition, and human-robot interaction. The book enables readers to understand development s and apply them to their own working areas, including:

• Robotic technologies for assisted living and elderly care
• Domestic cleaning automation
• Household surveillance
• Guiding systems for public spaces

Service robotics is a highly multidisciplinary field, requiring a holistic approach. This handbook provides insights to the disciplines involved in the field as well as advanced methods and techniques that enable the scale-up of theory to actual systems. It includes coverage of functionalities such as vision systems, location control, and HCI, which are important in domestic settings.

• Provides a single source collection of the latest development in domestic robotic systems and control
• Covers vision systems, location control, and HCI, important in domestic settings
• Focuses on algorithms for object recognition, manipulation, human-robot interaction, and navigation for household robotics

Part 1

Introduction

Outline

Chapter 1.1. Introduction

Chapter 1.1

Introduction

Huihuan Qian^1,2, Xinyu Wu², and Yangsheng Xu^{1,2 1}The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China ²Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China

Abstract

With the significant development of robotic technologies, the applications of robots have been extended broadly from their traditional industry role to military, medical field, and even daily services. Robotics has gradually become a very large industry with tremendous influence on the sustainable development of the world.

Keywords

Detection; Dexterity; Motion programming; Planning; Safety; Sensing; Tele-operation

Chapter Outline

1.1.1 Work Environments for Household Service Robots 5

1.1.1.1 Living Rooms/Office Rooms 5

1.1.1.2 Corridors/Narrow Paths 5

1.1.1.3 Kitchen 5

1.1.2 Functionalities of Household Service Robots 6

1.1.2.1 Human Detection and Recognition 6

1.1.2.2 Communication with Humans 6

1.1.2.3 Abnormal Event Detection 7

1.1.2.4 Floor Cleaning 7

1.1.2.5 Object Pick and Place 7

1.1.2.6 Door Opening 8

1.1.2.7 Self-Charging 8

1.1.2.8 Meal Preparation 8

1.1.2.9 Laundry Work 9

1.1.2.10 Object Carrying with Humans 9

1.1.2.11 Feeding People 10

1.1.2.12 Coaching for Elderly 10

1.1.2.13 Play with a Human 14

References 14

With the significant development of robotic technologies, the applications of robots have been extended broadly from their traditional industry role to military, medical field, and even daily services. Robotics has gradually become a very large industry with tremendous influence on the sustainable development of the world.

In February 25, 2004, the International Robot Fair 2004 issued the World Robot Declaration [1] in Fukuoka, Japan. The declaration made a confident statement of the future development of robotic technology and of the numerous contributions that robots will make to all humankind. It elaborated on the expectations for the next generation robots as well as the efforts toward the creation of new markets through the next generation robots. It can be expected that the next generation robots will have a partnership with human beings, to assist human beings both physically and psychologically and to contribute to the realization of a safe and peaceful society.

As Bill Gates envisioned [2], robots will be ubiquitous in every home, similar to the development trend of the computer business that began over 30 years ago. He has mentioned some researchers as the “world's best minds” trying to solve the “toughest problems of robotics, such as visual recognition, navigation and machine learning.” He also pointed out that the robotics industry was facing the challenges of nonexistence of standard operating software and standard processors, limited hardware, and the incompatibility of one programming code in another robot. Household service robots, although really appealing to everyone, still have a long way to go before entering every home and making contributions, such as has happened with personal computers.

In as early as 1995, Kawaruma [3] addressed the design philosophy for service robots, emphasizing limited autonomy, which was the balance between the low autonomy in industrial robots and full autonomy in field robots. The major reasons for this were the participation of users, whom service robots are working for, and the consideration of affordable cost and system complexity. He reasonably suggested the balanced design philosophy:

1. Environmental modification: By means of low-cost environmental modifications, such as wit beacons, infrared markers, etc., the navigation problem becomes easier.

2. User–robot co...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Preface
• Part 1. Introduction
• Part 2. Service Robotic System Design
• Part 3. Mapping and Navigation
• Part 4. Object Recognition
• Part 5. Grasping and Manipulation
• Part 6. Human–Robot Interaction
• Index