Central New England
Chapters
IEEE Robotics and
Automation Society
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Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007
Note non-standard
location:
MobileRobots, Inc.
19 Columbia Drive
Amherst, NH 03031
Note non-standard
schedule:
Doors open: 6:00 PM
Presentation: 6:15 PM
Demonstration: 6:30 PM
Facility Tour: 7:00 PM
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MobileRobots:
Moving
Intelligently From Here to There
Presented by
Rory MacKean
Systems Engineer
MobileRobots, Inc.
19 Columbia Drive
Amherst, NH 03031
MobileRobots, Inc. (formerly ActivMedia
Robotics) is a leader in the design and manufacture of intelligent mobile
robots. Besides providing platforms for
research in robotics, MobileRobots also offers
commercial-quality service robots that know where they are, and know where they
are going.
The technology for the
indoor navigation is provided by MobileRobots' ARCSinside system.
Using a scanning laser device and gyroscopically corrected feedback from
wheel encoders, we provide obstacle avoidance, path planning, and navigation
abilities to security and delivery robots. The PatrolBot
is a versatile base which builds on this ARCSinside
system, and can be outfitted with a broad range of sensors to provide remote
presence, surveillance, and sensing options.
The robot navigates autonomously, exchanging high-level commands and
sensor data with a host computer, and charging as needed at a charging
station. Options for sensing include
sonar, stereo vision, pan-tilt-zoom cameras, omni-directional
cameras, 2-way audio, smoke detection, heat detection, puddle detection, motion
detection, temperature sensing, and gas sensors.
There will be a brief
presentation on the robots designed and built at MobileRobots
and some of the applications for which they can be used. This will be followed by a demonstration of
the robots and a tour of the facility.
SPEAKER'S BIOGRAPHY
Rory MacKean
is a Systems Engineer at MobileRobotics, Inc. Since starting in 2002, he has worked on
various aspects of their robots, including hardware design, low level firmware,
test software, sensor integration, and Linux development. Prior to working at MobileRobots,
Rory studied Mechanical Engineering at MIT (SB 2000) and at the Center for
Automation Technologies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (MS 2002).
MEETING INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS
The Central New England
Chapter of IEEE Robotics and Automation Society will meet at MobileRobots, Inc., 19 Columbia Drive, Amherst, NH 03031, http://www.mobilerobots.com/ on
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007, for an informal discussion at 6:00 PM, the presentation
at 6:15 PM, robot demonstration at 6:30 PM and a tour of the MobileRobots facility at 7:00 PM.
Driving directions to MobileRobots: Take Route 3 North into New Hampshire. Take exit 7W (Route 101A towards
Milford/Amherst), and drive 5.0 miles along 101A. Take a left onto Caldwell Drive (there is a
Frederick's Pastries on your left at this intersection). If you see Walmart
on your left, you have gone too far. MobileRobots is across the tracks, at the corner of
Caldwell Dr. and Columbia Dr. Please
also refer to a schematic map at http://www.mobilerobots.com/routemap.jpg
Afterwards, at approx.
8:00 PM, the group will have a no-host dinner at Bertucci's
in Nashua, 406 Amherst St. (Rt. 101A), Nashua, NH 03063, where more
conversations with the Speaker can take place. Driving directions from MobileRobots to Bertucci's:
Backtrack the previous route (Caldwell Dr.) to Route 101A, take a right onto
101A East, after approx. 4 miles you will see Bertucci's.
If you reach Route 3, you have gone too far.
The meetings are open to
the general public, and all are welcome at the dinner afterwards. For more
information on IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, please contact Chapter
Chair Peter Meyer at (781) 334-0052 or chair@robotics-boston.org or visit http://www.robotics-boston.org/
