R. Gelin of Aldebaran Robotics presents collaborative research projects with French, Asian, and European partners, showing work on NAO and Romeo in healthcare and personal assistance.
Gelin describes projects with academic, research, and industry partners as a way to develop technologies that can move into future products. The focus is on assistance for people, including medical and healthcare settings, and on improving robot mechanics, sensors, actuators, and software. Aldebaran had managed as many as 12 projects at once and was shifting toward fewer, larger efforts.
In GRASPY, Aldebaran built a stereo head for NAO with cameras in its eyes, while German partner FKI developed the stereo software to estimate object positions. Gelin also shows a grasping demo using a QR code to identify objects and help NAO position itself. RoboHow explores how robots could turn online recipes into executable steps, inferring tools and actions that instructions leave unstated.
A Romeo navigation demonstration uses a laser scanner to map rooms and help the robot locate a person and move toward them. Gelin says the team is also developing a version that uses QR markers in the environment instead of a laser. Other work includes recognizing medicine packages and detecting a fallen person from learned clothing colors; the Juliet project studies gestures and activities, with visual preprocessing planned for a dedicated processor.
Gelin says Aldebaran delayed Romeo deliveries to improve the initial prototype before supplying four labs that had requested the robot. Changes include a redesigned hip joint, a more serviceable head structure housing three Atom CPUs and other devices, and a lighter titanium torso designed to make assembly easier and allow compliance when pushed. The team was evaluating exterior designs and planned to add an emergency stop.
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