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robot patrol
ActivMedia Robotics of Amherst, N.H., takes another
approach to AGV navigation. Relying on structural and immobile building
elements, its PatrolBot security robot and its PowerBot AGV learn the
way around a plant without any retrofitting of grid systems or wires,
enabling quick setup, according to company CEO Jeanne Dietsch.
A security specialist, PatrolBot excels at helping the lone night guard
monitor an entire facility. It patrols a fixed route, Dietsch explained,
or gets dispatched to plant locations where fixed sensors are picking
up disturbances. The guard merely has to tell the PatrolBot where to go
by clicking on a floor plan map that's displayed on the control
room panel, and the AGV finds its way there, steering around any obstacles.
A
PatrolBot moves onto its charger.
On the scene, the robot can pan, zoom, and focus a combination of surveillance
and night vision cameras on a rising gauge or a leaking valve. Or, armed
with specialized sensors, it can take data at regular intervals while
avoiding the necessity of instrumenting every data point with a sensor
of its own. The robot can also patrol hazardous environments, Dietsch
said.
ActivMedia makes small AGVs for security, hazard monitoring, materials
handling, and delivery.
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