Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 13, 1994 TAG: 9402110052
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
However, the robot of pop culture causes problems for people like John Holland, a Salem businessman and real-life robot maker.
People whose only exposure to robots comes from movies or science-fiction literature expect robots built by Holland's company, Cybermotion Inc., to do too much.
On the other hand, scientists and technicians have a difficult time believing that Holland's robots are capable of the extraordinary things they really can do.
"Perfectly legitimate engineers don't understand how far the technology has come," Holland said. "They think that because anything can be done with a videotape that we're just trying to sell flim-flam."
Holland's company has produced about 60 mobile robots that are performing tasks for government and industry around the world.
The company's robots are used to monitor radiation in nuclear facilities and carry materials in factories, but, over the past three years, the focus of the business has become building security.
In cooperation with Glaxo Pharmaceuticals in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park, Cybermotion developed a security robot that leads the world in its technology.
Cybermotion attached a vertical boom to the stocky base of its standard robot. The boom is equipped with an ultraviolet sensor to detect open flames; microwave and infrared sensors to find intruders; a smoke sensor for fire detection; and gas temperature and humidity sensors to warn of other hazardous or abnormal conditions.
A video camera can be mounted on the boom - which is as tall as doors will allow to make its sensors more effective - to record activity in a building or provide live video to a guard watching a control panel.
The robot, which weighs about 400 pounds, features a patented "synchrodrive" system, which allows it to maneuver in tight places. All three wheels steer and drive without the need for belts, chains or reverse gear.
The "fuzzy logic" software which directs the processing of information by the robot's computer is designed to consider information from various sensors as it analyzes apparent hazards. That, in turn, helps the robot avoid turning in false alarms.
The robot can detect problems in their early stages, when they might not be readily apparent to a human being passing through the same area.
In one instance, the robot's ability to provide a record of its sensors' findings revealed elevated levels of gases within a building during the same times day after day. Managers found that the building's air intake was sucking in fumes from a parking garage as employees arrived for work.
The robots move through buildings along a path that is mapped into their computers. The robots use ultrasonic waves, much like bats, to navigate off the natural environment without the need for special electronic markers. They can operate in total darkness.
They have the ability to move around unexpected obstructions and will stop rather than run into or over something. They can operate elevators, open automated doors and turn off alarm systems.
The robots dock at convenient times at a charging station and recharge their own batteries, all without human help. One charge will last about 12 hours.
Want to buy one for your business? A robot with a charging station sells for about $70,000.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***