Flexibot – the development of a new robotic concept

Citation

(2001), "Flexibot – the development of a new robotic concept", Industrial Robot, Vol. 28 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2001.04928eab.006

Flexibot – the development of a new robotic concept

Flexibot – the development of a new robotic concept

Keywords: Robots, Robotics

A consortium of European partners, led by Staffordshire University, and sponsored by funding in the region of e2.3million from the European Commission Directorate-General Information Society Technologies, is about to embark on the development of a new robotic system called Flexibot.

The Flexibot system will have the ability to move within a room, from room to room and from floor to floor (level to level) in a building using an interconnected network of docking stations or a docking rail. One of Flexibot's main functional advantages over other robots, will be its ability to work suspended from "docking stations" mounted on walls or ceilings (see Plate 2), thereby releasing access to floor space which is needed by disabled people in wheelchairs.

Plate 2The Flexibot system

Other important features are that it will be able to:

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  move from a fixed "docking station", on a wall to one on a wheelchair or other vehicle;

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  integrate with other "smart homes" technology to enhance its capability;

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  undertake many tasks at night, under instructions from a central control unit, while the user is asleep;

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  access any part of the building, even outdoors, so that it can be used, for instance to manage gardens or to clean cars and windows;

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  change its length, for instance by attaching a second arm, in order to alter the size of its work envelope;

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  work in parallel with a second arm that may be controlled by the user.

There are many other benefits and these will become apparent during the development of the project which will commence in August 2001.

Although this project will concentrate on the development of the capabilities of the Flexibot for elderly and disabled people, we anticipate considerable benefits for applications in conventional domestic environments, in laboratories, industry, space and sub-aqua.

Flexibot is a registered trademark and worldwide patent protection has been filed by Rehab Robotics Ltd.

The project consortium, led by Professor Mike Topping, consists of the following partners:

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  Staffordshire University, UK(Co-ordinating Partner);

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  Belgian Centre for Domotics and Immotics, Belgium;

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  Centre Bouffard-Vercelli Cerbere, France;

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  Lund University, Sweden;

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  Rehab Robotics Ltd, UK;

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  Scuola Superiore Sant' Anna, Italy;

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  Helsinki University of Technology, Finland;

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  Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain;

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  Innovative Centre in Housing for Adapted Movement, Belgium;

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  South Birmingham Community Health NHS Trust, UK.

For further information contact: Professor Mike Topping, Rehab Robotics Ltd, Staffordshire University, School of Art and Design, College Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2XN, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1782-294477;Fax: +44 (0) 1782-294414; e-mail rehabrobotics@compuserve.com