Floating robot

Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Robot control

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C700S302000, C114S061140, C114S278000, C114S320000, C342S013000, C224S148200, C224S148200, C089S037060, C089S038000, C089S041220

Reexamination Certificate

active

06278904

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floating type robot that supplies and collects information subjectively (in an autonomous fashion).
2. Description of the Related Art
A related floating type robot will be described with reference to the drawing.
FIG. 3
shows a structure of a floating robot disclosed, for instance, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-314401.
In
FIG. 3
, reference numeral
30
designates a floating robot in the form of an airship, and reference numeral
31
designates an airship balloon. This airship balloon
31
is provided at its side faces with transparent screens
32
, and at its lower part with a transparent window
33
. Two mirrors
34
are also installed inside the airship balloon
31
by wires
35
.
In the drawing, a base
36
is in the form of a gondola, which is mounted to the airship balloon
31
by the wires
35
. In this gondola-shaped base
36
, two projectors
37
and speakers
38
are installed.
Next, the operation of the conventional floating type robot will be described with reference to the drawing. Projected light emitted from projectors
37
passes through the transparent window
33
, and is reflected by the mirrors
34
to the right and left to form images on the transparent screens
32
.
This airship balloon
31
as a whole is suspended by the wires
35
from an actual airship or a ceiling of an exhibition hall. A power supply cable and signal lines are incorporated into these wires
35
for use by the projectors
37
and the speakers
38
.
Heat generated from the projectors
37
, etc. is discharged outside from the base
36
by natural convection or forced ventilation. The speakers
38
are activated on demand to output audio synchronous with the above-mentioned images.
This airship balloon
31
is useful for the user since the airship balloon
31
can be set in the exhibition hall to display the state of the exhibition and the commercial messages using large display screens
32
. In particular, floating the airship balloon
31
in 9 exhibition hall, 9 football stadium, or baseball stadium will further excite the event.
However, the related floating type robot as mentioned above can hardly recognize ambient information, and therefore can not select an object to which the information is to be supplied, and receive an input of the information from the object. Consequently, there arises a problem in that the robot merely supplies the information to many and unspecified objects in a one-way manner.
For the same reason, there arises a problem in that the robot can not be used as a monitoring device.
Further, even though a bidirectional information supply may be possible, the absence of moving means in the robot requires another means for moving the user to the robot, and thus there is the problem that the efficiency of use can not be increased. Since the information capable of being captured is limited, there is the problem that the robot is not suitable for use as the monitoring device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention was made in order to solve the aforementioned problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide a floating type robot which can capture ambient information and supply individual information to each object by judgement based on the captured information.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a floating type robot which can move by itself to capture different kinds of ambient information and to effectively supply information.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a floating type robot which can be used also as a monitoring device.
A floating type robot according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: a floating device which allows an entire robot main body to float in a predetermined space of a site; an image sensor which captures image data of persons around the robot main body; an information processing device which recognizes a specified person based on the image data captured by the image sensor, calculates a position of the specified person, and outputs a control signal for moving the robot main body to the position of the specified person; a propulsion device which moves, based on the control signal, the entire robot main body to a certain position which is so close to the specified person that the robot main body can be well seen by the specified person; and an image display device which displays image information useful for the specified person to use the site when the robot main body reaches the certain position.
A floating type robot according to a second aspect of the present invention further includes an audio sensor, which captures acoustic data around the robot main body.
A floating type robot according to a third aspect of the present invention further includes a touch sensor which inputs an inquiry from the specified person.
A floating type robot according to a fourth aspect of the present invention further includes an audio generating device which outputs audio information useful for the specified person to use the site.
A floating type robot according to a fifth aspect of the present invention further includes a communication device which conducts a communication to and from an external device.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3623444 (1971-11-01), Lang
patent: 3730123 (1973-05-01), Lang
patent: 3897744 (1975-08-01), Lang
patent: 5677506 (1997-10-01), Wallin
patent: 5889925 (1999-03-01), Tsurutani et al.
patent: 5950543 (1999-09-01), Oster
patent: 6176451 (2001-01-01), Drymon
patent: 01226940-A (1989-09-01), None
patent: 05119837-A (1993-05-01), None
patent: 8-314401 (1996-11-01), None
Agrawal et al., A New Laboratory Simulator for Study of Motion of Free-Floating Robots Relative to Space Targets, 1996, IEEE, pp. 627-633.

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