Demonstration experiments of Products and Services Using Robot Technology

Single-mindedly Collecting the Concerns of Visitors
Products and Prototypes with Clear Introductory Images

The Robot Laboratory conducted demonstration experiments for products and services using robot technology at the Osaka City Hall for four days from February 2 to 5, 2010.

These demonstration experiments placed on display reception systems, cleaning robots and other robots or welfare devices increasingly being adopted by public facilities or service sites, giving ordinary visitor the chance to experience them. Eleven products were put on display in the front lobby of the Osaka City Hall. Demonstrations were made in the area outside the entrance and the east entrance lobby.

A description of the companies and their displays and demonstration experiments is as follows.

•Floating Propelled Wheelchair (Kobe Gakuin University)
This propelled unit (a prototype) is a wheelchair without wheels that floats on the air. Being developed as an in-home assistive device to take the place of wheelchairs, it can move easily with a passenger on board with just the force needed to pull a cord. Visitors could be seen trying out the wheelchair to experience how comfortable it was.

•AR (Augmented Reality) / Entertainment Digital Signage (Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.)
This display features a real-time synthesized display system incorporating a PC, monitor and camera. Visitors stopped and enjoyed the visual effects of this system as it displayed unique CG in real-time to match the facial position of the users.

•Personal Mobility Device Using the Head-mounted Display SHOWWX Helmet (IT Doraku Research Laboratory, Ltd.)
A demonstration experiment involving riding the personal mobility device Segway, so familiar from the media, while wearing a helmet with a built-in laser projector. The both displayed imagined pictures of a society making widespread use of this mobility.

•Intelligent Autonomous Wheelchair Robot (NEC Corporation)
A demonstration experiment using a wheelchair robot operable by controller or able to move independently by reading "ucode" signals placed on the floor to specify its location. These demonstration experiments verified its functioning, while the aim is to commercialize it for use in hospitals, nursing homes and commercial facilities. Passersby stopped to look at the eye-opening movement of the wheelchair robot as it went forwards, sideways, diagonally and in all directions.

•Interactive Digital Signage Terminal (PFU Limited)
This was a verification of the function of the character displayed to recognize age, gender, and "smiley-ness" of the user and match its conversation to those. The lively Osaka-tinged accent of the character caught the attention of many visitors and made them enjoy conversing with it. The company representative noted it had been a great opportunity to get feedback from a far greater number of people than anticipated on the characters speech and use of words.

•Compact Humanoid Robot Palro (Fujisoft Incorporated)
This display was of a 39.8cm-high robot with communicative faculties involving facial recognition, movement sensors and voice recognition as well as movement faculties such as positional awareness, high-precision ambulation and obstacle recognition. Many people tried out interacting with Palro.

•Autonomous Robot Remote Monitoring / Communication Unit (Figla Co., Ltd.)
Put on display were the remote monitoring robot Figla Aikun and the remote communications robot Figla Aichan, both developed as part of the F.ROBO series of multi-purpose autonomous robots. Aikun is able to remotely monitor in real-time video stores and factories, and was shown performing such remote monitoring as it moved about the exhibition area.

•Visitor Counting System (Hokuyo Automatic Co., Ltd.)
This was a demonstration experiment of a system using laser ranging technology to count the number of people who moved into a set area, how long they stayed there and what paths they took. This will be of use in planning store design or layouts, and attracted the attention of many visitors.

•ArtVision (Media Fish Co., Ltd.)
A display with a unique tool able to move images in line with people's movements. The screen images in the booth could be seen moving in response to how people moved.

Companies with special displays and their and designs were as follows.

•Communications Robot Pul (RooBO Customize Team)
This communications robot, able to give guidance or explain products in exhibitions or showrooms, was exhibited on a platform. At the exhibition it actually communicated with visitors to explain to them the various booths.

•Independent Movement Assistance Robot (Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.)
The actual model displayed of the Robot Suit HAL ® for use in care showed its functions in demonstration displays. Visitors expressed amazement when watching the demonstrations of the HAL ™ suit moving in mirror image to the person wearing the sensor on their arm.

The fact that these demonstration experiments were held in a public place, at the Osaka City Hall, made it a valuable opportunity to show ordinary visitors with no knowledge of robots services using robotic technology. There was a constant flow of visitors at any time of the day while the demonstrations could be seen. Staff explained that the entrance area of the City Hall is usually almost deserted of people, showing just how much of an interest the products displayed generated to attract so many people.

In addition, the majority of the products displayed made it easy to understand what they were to be used for, how enjoyable they might be and what advantages they might have. Another reason why the interest of so many visitors was gained is the way the products allowed people to experience the latest technologies directly, with their eyes and ears or even whole bodies. The field they were to be used in, be it commercial facility services, security or care for senior citizens, was quite clear, allowing easy consideration of their adoption for business purposes.

The Robot Laboratory will show further demonstration experiments in the Crysta Nagahori underground shopping mall in Osaka from February 16. A different set of products will be displayed, so those working in corporations involved with robots or looking for new ways to draw people into commercial facilities should certainly pay a visit.