Ubiko robot knows where the smokers hang
Robot manufacturer tmsuk, Kyushu University and the Kanazawa Institute of Technology have teamed up to develop a robot that can sniff out the smells that accompany fire. A public demonstration of the robot’s new abilities was held at Kyushu University on February 21.
The researchers outfitted a 60-kilogram (132-pound), 112-centimeter (44-inch) tall Ubiko — a tmsuk robot originally designed to serve as a temporary receptionist — with a first-of-a-kind set of olfactory sensors specifically tuned to detect the odors of smoke and ash.
In the test, Ubiko, which moves on wheels and has a slightly humanoid appearance (albeit with a pair of triangular feline ears atop its head), was tasked with patrolling four rooms, each with a different smell. One room smelled of perfume, one smelled of garlic, one smelled of cigarettes, and one was odorless. When the robot smelled the room with ashtrays, it identified it as likely to catch fire and sent a wireless message to security.
Kiyoshi Toko, electronic engineering professor at Kyushu University, says, “We want to increase the accuracy of the sensors and create a fire-prevention robot that can detect subtle smells that humans cannot perceive.”
For now, the robot has no fire-fighting skills except the ability to alert the authorities when it detects a funny smell. This is probably a good thing in an office environment, for example, where Ubiko might wreak havoc by spraying fire retardant on heavy smokers or on innocent employees who happen to visit smoky restaurants during their lunch breaks.
[Source: Nikkei Net]
[…] Home Page [Ubiko.jp, via Pink Tentacle] […]
[…] Via Pink Tentacle […]
[…] Ubiko robot knows where the smokers hang [pinktentacle] Original post by Steve Rubel […]
[…] [Source | PinkTentacle] […]
[…] [Via Pink Tentacle] […]
[…] [Via Pink Tentacle] […]
[…] [Via Pink Tentacle] […]
[…] [Via pinktentacle] […]
[…] Ubiko nursebot retasked with sniffing out fires Posted on February 23, 2007 One of the many ways in which robotic laborers are superior to their human counterparts is their ability to be easily re-purposed: one day you’re an underpaid, under-appreciated nursebot chain-smoking with your co-workers in the break room, and the next day you’re equipped with some new peripherals and tasked with ratting out those very same smokers along with other potential fire hazards. Such is the life of a Tmsuk-manufactured robot named Ubiko, who was snatched away from its budding career as an unassuming hospital receptionist by researchers from Kyushu University and the Kanazawa Institute of Technology, and retrofitted with a unique olfactory sensor programmed to recognize the distinctive odors of smoke and ash. This new electronic sniffer allows Ubiko to pick up scents too faint for the human proboscis to detect, giving it a “nose up” when it comes to tracking down small fires before they turn into raging infernos. Since the bot isn’t equipped with any actual firefighting paraphernalia, its only job is wirelessly alerting authorities to potential problems and then scooting away before it melts into the floor; these so-called “authorities” then have the grueling task of pressing yet another button to deploy either an Anna Konda or SACI bot to make short work of the lit candle or smoldering cigarette butt. function init () { initContextualClick(); } CC.util.Event.addListener(window, “load”, init); [Via Pink Tentacle] [Read this original post] […]
I love this robot. Just like the yellow snowplow you featured awhile back, it is the cutest thing! Alas, however, I don’t need such a robot. I’m allergic to cigarette smoke and start sneezing and wheezing whenever I’m anywhere near it. Still, I can see how this would be a nifty smoke detector.
Ubiko To The Rescue!…
Sooner or later, it seems as if fire sprinkler manufacturing companies will be out of business. Kyushu University and the Kanazawa Institute of Technology teamed up with a robot manufacturer known as tmsuk to develop a robot that can detect smoke when …
[…] Via Ubiko robot knows where the smokers hang. Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 2/22/2007) […]
[…] [Via Pink Tentacle] […]
火種をにおいで嗅ぎ分けるロボ「T2-4」です。…
「火事だ！」 「え？どこよ？ 煙も火も見えないよ？」 「だってボク、におい……