Visual-assist robots

US9530058B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC. · US

Inventors

• Douglas A. Moore · Livermore, US
• Joseph M. A. Djugash · San Jose, US
• Yasuhiro Ota · Chigasaki, JP
• Shin Sano · Oak Park, US
• Sarah Rosenbach · Berkeley, US
• Sho Hiruta · San Francisco, US
• Maura Hoven · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 11, 2014
• Grant date: Dec 27, 2016
• Expiry date: Mar 18, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06T2207/20081
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

In one embodiment, a visual-assist robot includes a housing defining a base portion, an imaging assembly, a motorized wheel assembly positioned at the lower surface of the base portion, a processor disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to the imaging assembly and the motorized wheel assembly, and a non-transitory memory device disposed within the housing. The imaging assembly generates image data corresponding to an environment, and at least a portion of the imaging assembly is configured to be disposed above the upper surface of the base portion. The non-transitory memory device stores machine-readable instructions that cause the processor to provide a drive signal to the motorized wheel assembly such that the motorized wheel assembly moves the visual-assist robot to a desired location within the environment, determine objects from the image data received from the imaging assembly, and transmit message data for receipt by a user.