Kitchen Cleaning Robot Debuts - Readybot Challenge
March 4, 2008
This project is intended to answer a simple question:
How many common household and commercial tasks can a 2-armed, moderate-dexterity, simple robot perform?
PLEASANTON, Calif. - The Readybot Robot Challenge has released a preview video of their kitchen-cleaning robot prototype. (See below.)
Started by a group of veteran Silicon Valley engineers, the Readybot Challenge is a non-profit effort similar to the DARPA Grand Challenge robot car race. The goal of the Readybot Challenge is very simple. "People ask what will be the breakthrough application for consumer robotics," comments Tom Benson, team leader, "we think people want a robot that can clean the kitchen."
The Readybot prototype device looks like a white enamel box with wheels, 2 human-sized arms and retro chrome styling. "Like a dishwasher, but with arms," joke the designers. In fact the unit fits neatly in the same counter space as a dishwasher. After activation, it rolls out, deploys several antenna-like cameras, and raises itself up to human height to begin work. Slowly but steadily, it picks up cups, bowls, and plates, dumps food, loads the dishwasher, scrapes and scrubs the countertop. When needed, it grabs one of several custom tools to scrub, sponge, or maneuver.
Unlike other more complex robots, Readybot makes no pretensions to human anatomy. Readybot is a low-dexterity design that uses common, mass-produced parts and commonly available software. The goal of the project, say the engineers, is to see how much of an average kitchen such a robot can clean. "It can do 30-40% of the common daily chores right now," said Benson "and with additional programming, we estimate 50% in another year, eventually topping out at 80%. Really, most of this technology is already available, it's just a question of how many people you can get writing software."
What's next for the Readybot challenge team? There is plenty still to do - a paint job (the current device is plain white) and tests in different kitchens with different layouts. According to one team member, Readybot is "...a typical prototype, noisy, slow, and shaky but..." he says with a smile "it actually does the job, and that is amazing."
Watch a video of Readybot doing kitchen chores below:
Source: Readybot Robot Challenge
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