Robo-dog: A mechanized canine contraption to guide blind people through tight corners

Many of us science fiction buffs had a pleasant reverie of glimmering metallic contraptions moving around in their measured steps and doing our bidding. But robotics as a subject of logical science has much greater implications that go beyond the scope of some highfalutin fantasy contrived by our minds. Researchers are looking forth to create artificially intelligent mechanical forms within the framework of our human society, not beyond it. In simpler terms, robots (in any form) are seen as a sort of support system that would cater to (and solve) societal related predicaments. In relation to this, Japanese scientists have created the robotic 'dog', which will help in guiding visually impaired people through the busy streets.

Robo-dog

Created by Japanese company NSK (along with the University of Electro-Communications), the above pictured contraption has been in research and development since 2005. Going by the motion related components, the canine robot has been envisaged as an 'all terrain' system. So basically, the contraption will have a set of wheels (attached to the paw region), thus accentuating upon the element of speed. But when the question of undulating surfaces come, the bantam bot can traverse the expanse with its hinged legs. Moreover, the system will also have specially built sensors around the paws, so that the robot can avoid more conspicuously difficult obstacles.

Coming to the mechanical attributes, according to the researchers, the robot will have a fully three dimensional perception of the surrounding objects and obstacles (much akin to a normal human's sensory perception). Well, gaming aficionados take note, because this 3D visualization feature has been ingeniously integrated with the help of Microsoft very own Kinect image and distance sensor. As for the controlling part, the whole system's software can be pre-programmed to respond to wide criteria of instructions. The robot can also be regulated (by the user) by putting pressure on the hand grips.

Since the robot has been envisaged as a guiding mechanism for visually impaired people, the designers have thought of an interactive system, so that the contraption can be better trained for its utterly conscientious job. As a matter of fact, the bot can respond to instructions in a synthetic female voice (though, some people like us, may find it to be a tad bit on the odder side).

The essence of novelty of the overall endeavor is certainly high, but in actuality this is not the first project to allude to the scope of societal solutions (by robotics). In relation to this, the world's largest automaker - Toyota has its plans set on contriving a 'nurse' robot mechanism by 2013, which would have the tremendous ability to even lift physically disabled patients and assist them to walk.

Coming back to the robo-dog; now, it may be a tad bit rough around the edges, but the final product is touted to have great potentiality in the future years. From our perspective, this is true, especially when we consider the not-so-good scenario of having a significant portion of our population above their prime age.

Source: DailyMail