Program scientists of domestic robots for additional household chores

At a time when we are heading in tatters to meet the expectations of the company in terms of productivity, performance and time optimization, is it true that our vacuum cleaners and other intelligent devices are inactive during most of the day?

Computer scientists at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom do not think. In a new article, they offer more than 100 ways to draw from the latent potential of our robotic devices. The researchers say that these devices could be reprogrammed to perform useful tasks around the house beyond their main functions, keeping them physically active during their ordinary stop time.

New functions could include the game with the cat, the watering of plants, car transportation car in the kitchen, delivery of breakfast in bed and closing the windows when it rains.

For their study – presented today at the CHI Conference on human factors in computer systems, researchers identified 100 functions that domestic cleaning robots could, with fine adjustment, perform during inactive periods. They then demonstrated the technical feasibility of harder work robots by reprogramming a roomba (a popular robot vacuum cleaner) to fulfill the following four functions:

1. Mobile wireless charger: The robot, equipped with a support, billed a phone, sailing in the house to find the user of the phone when the mobile load was necessary.
2. Training projector: equipped with a projector, the robot has displayed training videos on a wall. When it was time for the ground exercises, he moved the projection to the ceiling in a transparent manner, guaranteeing an uninterrupted visualization.
3. Home Monitor: The robot watched the house remotely, providing video control and live tasks, such as oven observation while the user looked at and controlled it.
4. Signpost of work status: equipped with a screen signaling an “current meeting”, the robot could be sent to a specific location (as outside a room) to dissuade the disturbances.

Yoshiaki Shiokawa, first author of the study and a doctorate. The student of the Bath Department of Computer Science, said: “Mobile domestic robots, such as robot vacuum cleaners and lawns, are perceived as limited devices and one task, but there is a strong argument that they are underused for practical tasks. For most of the day, they are inactive.

“We should extend their usefulness beyond their main tasks by programming them to sail physically at home to fulfill a range of additional functions. Think how much more effectively households would work if rocks could be converted into household assistants.

“Our study has proven that after having made minimum adjustments, a roomba can play several roles around the house.”

Unexploited potential

Previous work has investigated how stationary intelligent devices (such as smart speakers, thermostats or security cameras) can perform additional tasks when inactive, such as software update or processing information.

The researchers also explored how robots can point out that they are on and ready to be activated by subtle signals, such as having lights that discolour in and out or a soft movement, even when they do not actively perform a task.

But the new study is supposed to be the first where scientists have studied the unexploited potential of the mobility of the domestic robot, systematically exploring how the inactive time of a device can be reused for various added interactions which cover domestic maintenance, assistance on demand and pet care.

The range of tasks offered for future mobile robots would be made possible by developing a series of bases compatible with robots (for example different heights), stretch arms and an attached trolley.

With the right extensions and attachments, the researchers suggest that the robots could immediately undertake some of the new tasks offered, such as the delivery of mobile light for people with seasonal emotional disorders (TAD) or to remind users to take their medication and plan medical meetings. Other concepts, such as using robots to predict the needs of users based on behavioral models, are more ambitious.

Upward robots

National robots such as vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers gain popularity and should see annual market growth of 18.8% by 2028. The authors of the new study revealed that in average, a robot vacuum cleaner cleans for an hour and 47 minutes per day.

The co-author and the study supervisor, Dr. Adwait Sharma, said: “The inactivity time has unique opportunities for added interactions and that it aligns with the growing need of adaptable robots and integrated systems that can adapt transparently in our daily life. As well as its mobility.

The additional functions proposed by the authors of the study for the robotic devices of tomorrow – in consultation with 12 global experts with in -depth knowledge of the robots and the AI ​​- include:

• Search for lost articles
• Manage smart devices, for example by modifying a television channel
• Help a user take a family photo
• Scan the refrigerator and suggest items to buy
• entertain children
• Play a card game
• interact with an animal
• Cleaning litter for pets for pets and bowls
• detect unusual sounds and navigate the house to inspect the situation
• Check if the doors are locked
• Cooking in parallel with a user
• wipe a table
• Clarification and sort food during the preparation of a meal
• inform family members when a meal is ready by hitting the doors
• Organize articles and store, for example toys
• Move plants for sunlight
• Clean the paths and alert users to trip the dangers
• receive and deliver packages when the user is busy

The research team also included Dr. Aditya Shekhar Nittala, Asst. The professor at the University of Calgary (Canada), alongside the master’s student Winnie Chen and Professor Jason Alexander of the IT department of the University of Bath.