Robots@CES 2011

• Few robot innovations announced 
• Robots from USA, Japan, Korea, China and Israel 
• Vacuum cleaning robots and educational toys
• European robotics is missing

Consumer robotics is still a marginal industry with few international players, few attractive products and hard competition from established segments such as audio, digital imaging, home theater, wireless, content and gaming markets. Only 2% of 2700 exhibitors are listed as robotics exhibitors at the International CES 2011, 6-9 January, Las Vegas, USA, the world's largest consumer technology tradeshow. About 20 companies are represented in the Robotics Tech Zone as part of the Emerging Technology Section.

U.S. Robotics is represented by 6 robot companies - iRobot, Neato Robotics, Metapo, Owirobot and Orbotics, Innovo Labs -, one media company Robotics Trends and the QoLT Foundry, a CMU center for Quality of Life Technology.

Infonaut/GRB CES 2011 Robotics Exhibitors

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) is presenting the Japan Pavilion at the 2011 International CES Robotics TechZone, for the fourth time since 2007. This year's Japan Pavilion features nine exhibitors, many of them pioneers in their fields such as Cyberdyne, Vstone Co. Ltd, Murata Electronics, PARO. JS-Robotics Inc. is a business venture focusing on research, development, manufacturing and sales of education-oriented IT and robotics. The JETRO promotion brochure claims that JS-Robotics since its establishment in 2006 has achieved sales of over 1000 Educational Robotic Kits. (A small volume in a country with 35.000 elementary and secondary schools)

Korean Robotics is represented by four companies: Yujin Robotics, Mami Robot Corporation, RoboBuilder Co., Whitebox Robotics and Ilshim Global Company Ltd. presenting Windoro is a flat, autonmous window cleaning robot that uses water, detergent and rotating pads to clean glass while navigating with obstacle sensors.

China will be represented by four companies specialized in ODM/OEM robotics such as Jetta (iRobot manufacturer), Shenzen Silver Star, Ecovacs, showing vacuum cleaning robots.

Surprisingly no European robotics company is listed as exhibitor. 

Home Robot Visions from iRobot

iRobot CEO and co-founder Colin Angle told recently in an interview about his company´s plans in the senior home healthcare arena. Angel is facing an elderly care crisis in the next 20 years, because of shortage of care personal. Elderly live longer and will need more help at home such as vacuum cleaning, helping out of bed, getting dressed, getting to the bathroom. Angle talks about a "robot buddy" that he can call and activate to drive around in his mothers home to make sure that his mother is OK. Instead of sensor based home surveillance he proposes a mobile platform for on-demand virtual visits and social interaction via videoconferencing.

Angel´s view is that the development of the technology platform has to be funded by government agencies before companies can start industrializing for low-cost production and mass marketing via retail and online.

A market boost may be the US the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act (CLASS), which is a mechanism to reimburse people staying at home for technology and services that allow them to stay at home. This will create a great economic opportunity for companies that can deliver cost-effective solutions for independent living.

Angel´s vision of a telepresence robot is not new. Already in 2007 iRobot had launched ConnectR a telepresence robot but it was not practical enough to meet user expectations. Meanwhile competing telepresence systems have established on the market as reported here before but if they will succeed in the long run is an open question. Many technical, legal and ethical issues have to be considered before mobile videorobots can enter elderly´s homes.

Angel´s vision of a robot buddy isn´t new either. Joe Engelberger, the father of robotics, considered in Discovermagazine, March 2000 "a household robot to be an appliance--one that cooks and cleans, offers an arm, handles security, fetches and carries, does my bidding in response to natural language, and carries out the kind of a conversation that an 85-year-old person does. We can do that right now."

10 years after Engelbergers over-optimistic statement the step from a mobile telepresence robot to an intelligent home buddy that can do real homework is still huge. Despite great research efforts, technological advances and promising prototypes it seems that it will take many years, before household robots can help elderly to stay independent.

Robots@home

The three-year, 3.2 million Euro project Robot@home began on May 1, 2007 and is has developed a scaleable, affordable platform, James the Robot, that corresponds to requirements of the project’s three industrial partners, companies in the areas of domotics (intelligent technology to automate the home environment), food delivery, and care for the elderly.

At present James is limited to orienting itself/himself to a room’s dimensions and contents. But it is foreseen that James will be able to help the elderly, those confined to bed or suffering from physical disabilities to get out of bed, fetch medication, do light carrying or even clean the apartment. Responding to verbal commands including “make and bring the coffee” are applications that are near to fruition. For James, who would help to ensure the continued autonomy and independence of the elderly at home, the future is open. The system has already been tested at the home furnishings store, IKEA, in Vienna, Austria. Testing will continue in different home environments.

Global Robotic Visions