Development of a remote visitor robot system — Attending a remote conference and visiting to an aged care center

We are developing a remote visitor robot. We can attend a meeting and visit an aged care center from a remote place through Internet as if we would ride in the robot. The purpose of our study is also to develop a robot that allows us to join a conference from a remote place through the Internet under the communication environment that a broadband-router (NAT) exists on a communications line. Our faces are shown in PC display. We communicate through Skype (TV phone system). The robot is constructed of a mobile wagon, PC for wagon control, and PC for TV phone. The controller software is a multi-agent system which is composed of Man-machine interface, Task planner, and Mobile wagon controller. While the operator directs only the direction of the robot with a game pad or keyboard, the robot avoids obstacles and goes toward the target direction.