Toward a Science of Autonomy for Physical Systems: Service

📝 Abstract

A recent study by the Robotic Industries Association has highlighted how service robots are increasingly broadening our horizons beyond the factory floor. From robotic vacuums, bomb retrievers, exoskeletons and drones, to robots used in surgery, space exploration, agriculture, home assistance and construction, service robots are building a formidable resume. In just the last few years we have seen service robots deliver room service meals, assist shoppers in finding items in a large home improvement store, checking in customers and storing their luggage at hotels, and pour drinks on cruise ships. Personal robots are here to educate, assist and entertain at home. These domestic robots can perform daily chores, assist people with disabilities and serve as companions or pets for entertainment. By all accounts, the growth potential for service robotics is quite large.

💡 Analysis

A recent study by the Robotic Industries Association has highlighted how service robots are increasingly broadening our horizons beyond the factory floor. From robotic vacuums, bomb retrievers, exoskeletons and drones, to robots used in surgery, space exploration, agriculture, home assistance and construction, service robots are building a formidable resume. In just the last few years we have seen service robots deliver room service meals, assist shoppers in finding items in a large home improvement store, checking in customers and storing their luggage at hotels, and pour drinks on cruise ships. Personal robots are here to educate, assist and entertain at home. These domestic robots can perform daily chores, assist people with disabilities and serve as companions or pets for entertainment. By all accounts, the growth potential for service robotics is quite large.

📄 Content

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 Toward  a  Science  of  Autonomy  for  Physical  Systems:  Service      

  Peter  Allen   allen@cs.columbia.edu   Columbia  University   Henrik  I.  Christensen   hic@cc.gatech.edu   Georgia  Institute  of  Technology   Computing  Community  Consortium   Version  1:  June  23,  20151   1  Overview  

  A  recent  study  by  the  Robotic  Industries  Association  [2]  has  highlighted  how  service  robots   are  increasingly  broadening  our  horizons  beyond  the  factory  floor.  From  robotic  vacuums,   bomb  retrievers,  exoskeletons  and  drones,  to  robots  used  in  surgery,  space  exploration,   agriculture,  home  assistance  and  construction,  service  robots  are  building  a  formidable   resume.  In  just  the  last  few  years  we  have  seen  service  robots  deliver  room  service  meals,   assist  shoppers  in  finding  items  in  a  large  home  improvement  store,  checking  in  customers   and  storing  their  luggage  at  hotels,  and  pour  drinks  on  cruise  ships.  Personal  robots  are   here  to  educate,  assist  and  entertain  at  home.    These  domestic  robots  can  perform  daily   chores,  assist  people  with  disabilities  and  serve  as  companions  or  pets  for  entertainment   [1].    By  all  accounts,  the  growth  potential  for  service  robotics  is  quite  large  [2,  3].  

  Due  to  their  multitude  of  forms  and  structures  as  well  as  application  areas,  service  robots   are  not  easy  to  define.  The  International  Federation  of  Robots  (IFR)  has  created  some   preliminary  definitions  of  service  robots  [5].  A  service  robot  is  a  robot  that  performs  useful   tasks  for  humans  or  equipment  excluding  industrial  automation  applications.    Some   examples  are  domestic  servant  robots,  automated  wheelchairs,  and  personal  mobility   assist  robots.  A  service  robot  for  professional  use  is  a  service  robot  used  for  a  commercial   task,  usually  operated  by  a  properly  trained  operator.  Examples  are  cleaning  robot  for   public  places,  delivery  robot  in  offices  or  hospitals,  fire-­‐fighting  robots,  rehabilitation   robots  and  surgery  robots  in  hospitals.  In  this  context  an  operator  is  a  person  designated  to   start,  monitor  and  stop  the  intended  operation  of  a  robot  or  a  robot  system.  

  A  degree  of  autonomy  is  required  for  service  robots  ranging  from  partial  autonomy   (including  human  robot  interaction)  to  full  autonomy  (without  active  human  robot   intervention).    Therefore,  in  addition  to  fully  autonomous  systems  service  robots  include   systems,  which  may  also  be  based  on  some  degree  of  human  robot  interaction  or  even  full   tele-­‐operation.  In  this  context  human  robot  interaction  means  information  and  action   exchanges  between  human  and  robot  to  perform  a  task  by  means  of  a  user  interface.     Service  robots  may  consist  of  a  mobile  platform  on  which  one  or  several  arms  are  attached   and  controlled  in  the  same  mode  as  the  arms  of  industrial  robot.  

                                                                                                                1  Contact:  Ann  Drobnis,  Director,  Computing  Community  Consortium  (202-­‐266-­‐2936,     adrobnis@cra.org).       For  the  most  recent  version  of  this  essay,  as  well  as  related  essays,  please  visit:   cra.org/ccc/resources/ccc-­‐led-­‐white-­‐papers  

  2   ‘000 of units

  The  market  and  economic  impact  of  these  robots  is  growing.  A  recent  study  [4]  found  that   in  2013,  about  4  million  service  robots  for  personal  and  domestic  use  were  sold,  28%  more   than  in  2012.  The  value  of  sales  increased  to  US $1.7  billion.  So  far,  service  rob

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