Boasting human-friendly appearances and capabilities, JackRabbot 2 is a new campus-roaming social robot developed by researchers at Stanford University. While the JackRabbot 2 is already capable of navigating the expansive campus, the ultimate goal of the robot is to accomplish this task while navigating the hordes of people. This focus on "being in human environments with humans," distinguishes the robot from its counterparts and positions the robot as a distinct automaton meant to understand human social conventions.
To navigate its surroundings, the JackRabbot 2 utilizes a collection of sensors to navigate the world. These include multiple depth-sensing and stereo cameras, GPS and three LIDAR sensors. The collection of sensors crammed in the JackRabbot 2 help the robot define the space around it in three dimensions.
Self-Navigating Robots
JackRabbot 2 Understands Human Etiquette When Navigating a Busy Campus
Trend Themes
1. Social Robots - Opportunity to develop robots with human-friendly appearances and abilities that can understand human social conventions and operate in public spaces.
2. Navigation Technology - Opportunity to integrate multiple sensors and technologies, such as depth-sensing, stereo cameras, GPS, and LIDAR, to develop navigation systems for robots to better navigate human-centric environments.
3. Human-robot Interaction - Opportunity to enhance the interaction between humans and robots, particularly in public spaces, by developing robots that can understand human needs and social conventions.
Industry Implications
1. Education - Opportunity to integrate social robots like JackRabbot 2 into education to personalize learning and enhance student engagement.
2. Hospitality - Opportunity to develop social robots that provide hotel guests with assistance and guidance, particularly in large hotel lobbies and public areas.
3. Retail - Opportunity to develop social robots that assist customers in shopping centers or malls by guiding customers to desired stores, or giving suggestions and information about the products.