Robot: Made in Russia 

In 2006, at a press conference held by the President of the Russian Federation, in all seriousness, was a question: “Will Russia use to defend its borders huge humanoid robots fighting?” Unfortunately, the answer is not given, Vladimir Putin, but to certain reflections question undoubtedly brought. In 2011, we finally found the right answer: “Get ready. But only small, cone-shaped and for peaceful purposes. “

 

Specifications R.BOT 001 RPM Height: 185 cm Weight: 350 kg Maximum speed: 10 km / h Cruising speed: 5 km / h Working Offline: up to 8 hours.

 

 PR army

The main characters of this material – the robots R.BOT 100. One of the most popular today, their appointments – work at exhibitions and shows. Branded “weave” move on their own exhibition stand, offer to take the booklet about the advertised product. Boring bot can be turned off by pressing.

 

Vgo Communications

Telepresence robot is not as rare a thing as it might seem. But priced at $ 6500 offers his development company Vgo Communications – also from the U.S.. Their boat is different futuristic design, a very small screen and a fixed head.

 

Robodynamics Luna and others

In “baumanke” Alexey Knyazev studied optoelectronic devices and the Marxist-Leninist philosophy. However, the latest at the time studying all the polls. Most Soviet students did not find anything useful in it, but it Knyazev suggested the need for artificial intelligence. Of course, many foreign companies have already tried to work in the field of artificial intelligence, and in Soviet research institutes, this issue was raised repeatedly.

 

Then came the 1990s, business was good and not so, life went on, the AI ??was in the past, but deep down, Alex always kept the dream of robots that will help people in urgent cases. In 2005, he sold it, founded the company R.BOT.

     

I, Robot Cop   

Isaac Asimov predicted that the positronic brain, artificial intelligence, will create by the early 1980s, and by the end of the XX century, sentient robots, is not serving people who set out to conquer the universe. Unfortunately, the prediction of the great science fiction writer was wrong. Many companies specializing in robotics, building upscale expensive toys that can work for a given algorithm, or under human control. In Japan, the USA, France, robots are varying degrees of difficulty, but the AI ??to them so far away.

 

“Why not in Russia?” – Asked himself Alexei Knyazev. Not finding the answer to this question, he began manufacturing robots here. Of course, initially the company was working on more familiar things. In particular, the intelligent monitoring system – a device that can recognize license plates and people’s faces, to fix violations of the law, to ensure safety. Founded “Laboratory dimensional view” – to date of its development monitoring complex JCE that is placed on a balloon.

 

 But the main purpose Knyazev were robots. The first model was really working R.BOT 001 RPM, where the reduction RPS stands for “robo-Patrol.” Basically, Robocop is a mobile PTZ camera with a certain degree of autonomy. That is, the robot was a direct development of developments in the field of video monitoring. The important point was that the 001 does not stay R.BOT paper project. It produced, tested in the laboratory and have reached an agreement with the Perm police to the possibility of testing the robot “in the field.”

 

From May to October 2007, 001 R.BOT patrolled the streets of Perm – as with the accompanying outfit, and alone. “Vandalism was not?” – We asked Alexis. “No, – he said, – Robocop weighs 350 pounds and has a bullet-proof enclosure. It’s even impossible to overturn. “

 

Of course, even if you use the standalone mode the robot was conducted constant surveillance of the police department. In which case it could instantly take control. Globally R.BOT 001 guided by GPS, and locally, on the ground – with the help of two belts of 12 sensors each (at the level of the human breast, and at the bottom, on the edge of “skirt”) and six video cameras with wide-angle lens of its own design company . Stability of the “Agent 001″ was provided in the first shift of the center of gravity to the bottom of the – three powerful battery of “KAMAZ” that allow it to operate without recharging for four hours and were a large part of its mass.

 

What could a robot RPM? In the first place – to fix violations at camera or camcorder, working in a place where a man of flesh and blood in danger. The robot had a speech synthesizer, and could issue a warning, this experiment has been conducted – RPS drove to drink companies and recited them to the local council decision to ban the use of alcohol in a public place. In most cases, the company withdrew from harm’s way. In theory, the robot could scan and verify documents, serve as an authorized on a complex intersection.

 

Of course, far from the CPF roboofitsera Murphy from the famous movie. The tests revealed a number of advantages and many disadvantages. In particular, the RPS is sometimes not focused very precisely and almost touched his “hulk” cars. And the degree of autonomy it was small: most of the work carried out at the police station operator. But in general, the attempt has been successful: it became clear that R.VOTov can be used for policing. The model was sent back for revision. Meanwhile, Alexey Knyazev waiting RoboCop, he invented a new direction and went with him to the market. His new R.BOT 100 produced in small series and already selling well.

 

Friends helper

When we shot R.BOT 100 on the street, there was a passerby who would pay attention to us. As one, stop, look back and smile. 100 R.BOT something vaguely resembles R2-D2 from “Star Wars” – the same kind and funny-looking. But very serious inside.

 

R.BOT 100 – this is remotely controlled device, in terms of roboklassifikatsii it relates to a device for telepresence. “Steer” them by simply having access to the Internet. It is equipped with a video camera (or several), a microphone, speakers. HEREUNDER, optionally can be equipped with one hundredth model anything – from the chest to monitor garden hose on his head. In fact it is just a device for remote operation that does not have its own will. But the creation of a demo robot, this innovative Japanese design, and not part of the plan Knyazev and K °. The fact that modern robotic drones with manipulators used in the military and industry, there are a lot of money. Organizations such as schools and hospitals simply can not afford the equipment. R.BOT company from the beginning sought to create a low-cost robot. Cost is determined by the complexity of the filling, place the quality and production of components. Unfortunately, states Knyazev, currently produces components in China and then imported to Russia five times cheaper than doing there. However, consistent quality control in any way necessary. For example, in an experimental model R.BOT 201 experimented with hand-designed by the manipulators, but they proved to be extremely unreliable, so the production model R.BOT 100 so far has no hands. But it has a head, eyes, ears and wheels – that is enough.

 

In two Moscow schools are already being field tested R.BOT 100 – and they are successful. Boy, for half a year who could not leave the bed of sickness, and studied through the robot, driving them out of the house, moving from class to class, and even answering the board. Teachers initially feared strange “student”, but soon got used. True, this training is a drawback – a child very tired for a long time sitting in front of the monitor and not being able to really break even at the break. But it’s better than to miss a year or more, not to communicate all the time with their peers and to be forever trapped within four walls.

 

There is another experience with R.BOT 100 in real life? – As a shop consultant. Manned, R.BOT 100 indicates goods (head movements), tells about them. Thus, we can provide jobs for the disabled or, for example, non-resident. And one operator can manage multiple robots – if only the Internet was. Also considered the use R.BOT 100 as secretaries (eg, you wander around the room, dictating a letter, and the robot follows you and records). Similar function R.BOT 100 may perform in the hospital, by moving under a doctor or even in offline mode. To date, orders from the health institutions have. Doctors have high requirements for quality of color “eye” robot – often determine the condition of the patient can be in his skin color.

 

Hundredth model

Structurally R.BOT 100 – a small cone meters high with a moving head and a large button on his stomach. If the button is pressed, the robot will be immobilized. At the same time it serves as an indicator of battery charge. Inside, there is room for six batteries, designed for 24-hour battery life, but sets usually only three. This makes it much easier R.BOT (weight – 40 kg, 18 of them – a power supply), and charged it faster. Robozaryadki stations are right in the laboratory walls – the robot drives and automatically starts fueled energy.

 

Community of seeing R.BOT question – is its low permeability. In Robocop had four wheels and skirt, allowing to take curbs up to 15 cm tall. R.BOT 100 lower, lighter, it has two wheels and support rollers at the rear of the base. “Well, on the cross work. It is not bad. At least, we ran it on the Red Square, and he quietly rode it around the perimeter – directly on the pavement, “- said the princes. “Thank God he was not arrested at the mausoleum,” – I laugh. By the way, the robot is very difficult to overturn. With us it tilted more than 45 °, and, like Roly-Poly, again took a vertical position.

 

R.BOT 100 the interests of foreigners. On the one hand, Japan and the United States is the world leader in robotics. On the other – the cost of the imported simple telepresence robot for double or even three times the value of the Russian counterpart. This inspires optimism notable export – significant support for business development.

 

Stop there Knyazev is going. His robots will and functional limb, and a higher degree of autonomy – in any case, the plans the company has. Of course, artificial intelligence – is an unattainable goal (at least in the foreseeable future.) But one goal already reached Alex: Russian robots exist, produced in series and provide assistance to people who need it.

 

Competitors

elepresence robots being developed by many companies in the world, but their designs somehow remained the same prototypes. The first series production stvo faced with the problem of the high cost of these devices. Only a few companies have managed to bring it to the series. For example, Americans from Anybots produce and sell the robot QB. It is stylish and quiet, but it costs $ 15 000. This is due to the manual assembly QB and to some extent “Pont” company, which claims that their telepresence robot was the first serial in the world. Most recently, in May 2011, the company introduced its Robodynamics development – a robot Luna. This is a programmable robot telepresence Height 157 cm and weight 30 kg, equipped with a kind of hands, you can install the tray. There are a number of programs (like applications for iPad), allowing “Moon” perform a variety of tasks. It can be concluded that there is nothing unique about the devices produced R.BOT not. But they have a very competitive and very high – it is due to the low value when there is a complete set of necessary functions for telepresence – and even a little more.

 

Entrails

Whole laboratory R.BOT stuffed to the eyeballs various parts of robots head off (in the photo, it looks horrible), chassis, body plastic parts. In fact, the robot design varies widely. Enclosure large enough “stuffing” you can set the most diverse, and the case itself amenable to virtually any upgrades.

 

Coming to the lab, we immediately asked: can disassemble a robot? You can see what’s inside? And inside it – printed circuit boards with chips, twisted wires, switches and batteries. Standard filling for radio control toys, just big enough and sophisticated.

 

In addition to wireless R.BOT 100 is equipped and wired interface. The neck can be easily separated from the body, and a long cable is twisted around the black plastic disc. With the wired interface to the robot pumped program for offline use.

  

Telepresence

 

Oddly, the direct competitors R.BOT – conventional ISPs and equipment manufacturers for teleconferencing. For example, one boarding school refused to take R.BOT 100 for experimental use, as another company has already equipped classroom screens and microphones, children who can not attend a class, listen to the teacher out of the house without robots. Of course, control the bot funny interesting, but from the child’s opinion there is little independent.

 

In general, the term “telepresence” can include a variety of technologies. To date during videoconferencing screens are used to allow sufficient accuracy to simulate the presence of man sitting at a table (size face and shoulders are transmitted at full size). Usually participants are trying to accommodate such a conference in similar rooms (“unified environment”) – this creates even greater effect. But still, the robot is able to walk and talk individually with each audience has advantages over traditional solutions.

 

Source: http://www.popmech.ru/article/9601-robot-sdelano-v-rossii/