SBIR Phase I: Personal Service Robotics with Tiered Human-in-the-Loop Assistance

SBIR 第一阶段：具有分层人在环协助的个人服务机器人

• 批准号: 1142743
• 负责人: Matei Ciocarlie
• 金额: $ 14.97万
• 依托单位: Willow Garage, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2012-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1142743&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Personal; Service; Robotics

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes a methodology and novel algo-rithms for Personal Service Robotics. Recognizing that, in unstructured environments, autonomous roboticsalone is not yet reliable enough for performing complete tasks, and complete manual teleoperation is toolabor intensive, this approach combines autonomous operation with human assistance in a Tiered Human-in-the-Loop framework. At all levels, the autonomy will request help when unexpected or anomalous eventsoccur. For example, at high levels the user may be asked to identify objects or adjust plans. At the low levelthe user may be asked to remote control the robot end-e^ector to unstick a wedged object. Automationwill focus on the most frequent task components, including motion planning, object grasping, and simplerigid-environment manipulation. The major innovations arise from (a) the design of limit-aware autonomyin each of these areas, requesting human intervention when needed and (b) multi-tiered human-assistedfallback options that necessitate greater involvement for severe failures or complex circumstances. Phase Iwill demonstrate an operator assisting a robot completing personal service tasks in non-industrial environ-ments. Phase II will parallelize for an operator supporting multiple robots, with the multiplicative e^ectdemonstrating overall labor savings.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project includes accelerating the deployment of robotsin unstructured environments, extending the market for personal robotic services beyond single-purposeautonomous devices, and increasing access to in-home assistance in daily living for an aging population.With demographics shifting to an older population, we face a major shortage of manual labor, particularlyfor unskilled work. This will impact the o;ce and home environments, and dramatically a^ect the olderpopulation for whom daily tasks become increasingly burdensome, but also for whom appropriate serviceworkers may not be available. Allowing an operator to assist robots performing personal service tasks canincrease the productivity of such labor and perform greater personal service than traditionally possible.Meanwhile, customers are clearly ready to invest into robotic technology. For reference, even today's highly-limited personal and home robots created a $1.28 Billion global market. A human-in-the-loop personal servicerobot will greatly expand that market, as well as create markets for operator services and infrastructures.Delivering personal robotic service will have the immediate bene ts of reduced labor costs and increasedproductivity, while also allowing older adults to age in familiar housing and retain greater independence.

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目提出了一种方法和新的算法，个人服务机器人。认识到，在非结构化的环境中，自主roboticsalone还不够可靠，执行完整的任务，和完整的手动遥控操作是工具劳动密集型的，这种方法结合了自主操作与人类的援助，在分层的人在环框架。在所有级别上，当意外或异常事件发生时，自治将请求帮助。例如，在高级别，用户可能会被要求识别对象或调整计划。在低水平，用户可以被要求远程控制机器人末端执行器以使楔入的物体脱离。自动化将专注于最常见的任务组件，包括运动规划，物体抓取和简化的环境操作。主要的创新来自于（a）在这些领域中的每一个领域中设计了极限感知的故障诊断，在需要时请求人工干预，以及（B）多层次的人工辅助的回退选项，在严重故障或复杂情况下需要更多的参与。第一阶段将演示操作员协助机器人在非工业设备中完成个人服务任务。第二阶段将为支持多个机器人的操作员进行并行化，倍增效应展示了整体劳动力的节省。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力包括加速机器人在非结构化环境中的部署，将个人机器人服务的市场扩展到单一用途的自主设备之外，以及增加老年人口在日常生活中获得家庭援助的机会。随着人口结构向老年人口转变，我们面临着体力劳动力的严重短缺，特别是非技术性工作。这将影响到O; CE和家庭环境，并显着影响老年人，对他们来说，日常任务变得越来越繁重，但对他们来说，合适的服务人员可能无法使用。允许操作员协助机器人执行个人服务任务可以提高这种劳动的生产率，并提供比传统可能的更大的个人服务。与此同时，客户显然已经准备好投资机器人技术。作为参考，即使是今天高度有限的个人和家用机器人也创造了12.8亿美元的全球市场。一个人在回路中的个人服务机器人将极大地扩大这一市场，并为运营商服务和基础设施创造市场。提供个人机器人服务将带来降低劳动力成本和提高生产力的直接贝内，同时也允许老年人在熟悉的住房中养老，并保持更大的独立性。