Healthcare tele-robotic system with a robot that also functions as a remote station
View Patent ↗A robotic system that includes a plurality of robots that are linked to a plurality of remote stations. The robots have an input device and software that allows control of another robot. This allows an operator in close physical proximity to a robot to operate another robot. Each robot can be either a master or slave device.
1. A mobile robot system, comprising:
a first mobile robot with a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom; and,
a second mobile robot that has an input device controlled by a user to control movement of said first mobile robot across a floor surface, said second mobile robot having a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a speaker and a microphone.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said input device includes a joystick.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said input device includes a speech interface.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a platform that provides three degrees of freedom.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a remote station that has an input device to control said first mobile robot.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said first mobile robot includes an arbitrator.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a wireless base station coupled to said first mobile robot.
9. A mobile robot system, comprising:
a first mobile robot with a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom; and,
a second mobile robot with input means for controlling movement of said first mobile robot across a floor surface that is controlled by a user, said second mobile robot having a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a speaker and a microphone.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein said input means includes a joystick.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein said input means includes is a speech interface.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a platform that provides three degrees of freedom.
14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a remote station that has input means for controlling said first mobile robot.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein said first mobile robot includes an arbitrator.
16. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a wireless base station coupled to said first mobile robot.
17. A method for operating a mobile robot, comprising:
entering a command to move a first mobile robot through an input of a second mobile robot that is controlled by a user;
moving the first mobile robot across a floor surface;
moving together a camera and a monitor of the first mobile robot; and, moving together a camera and a monitor of the second mobile robot.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising conducting a teleconference between the first and second mobile robots.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein entering the command is moving a joystick of the second mobile robot.
20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising entering a command to move the first mobile robot from a remote station.
21. A mobile robot system, comprising:
a broadband network;
a first mobile robot with a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom coupled to said broadband network; and,
a second mobile robot that is coupled to said broadband network and has an input device controlled by a user to control movement of said first mobile robot across a floor surface, said second mobile robot having a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a speaker and a microphone.
23. The system of claim 21 , wherein said input device includes a joystick.
24. The system of claim 21 , wherein said input device includes a speech interface.
25. The system of claim 21 , wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a platform that provides three degrees of freedom.
26. The system of claim 21 , further comprising a remote station that is coupled to said broadband network and has an input device to control said first mobile robot.
27. The system of claim 26 , wherein said first mobile robot includes an arbitrator.
28. The system of claim 21 , further comprising a wireless base station coupled to said first mobile robot and said broadband network.
29. A mobile robot system, comprising:
a broadband network;
a first mobile robot with a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom coupled to said broadband network; and,
a second mobile robot that is coupled to said broadband network and has input means for controlling movement of said first mobile robot across a floor surface that is controlled by a user, said second mobile robot having a camera and a monitor that move together in at least one degree of freedom.
30. The system of claim 29 , wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a speaker and a microphone.
31. The system of claim 29 , wherein said input means includes a joystick.
32. The system of claim 29 , wherein said input means includes is a speech interface.
33. The system of claim 29 , wherein said first and second mobile robots each include a platform that provides three degrees of freedom.
34. The system of claim 29 , further comprising a remote station that is coupled to said broadband network and has input means for controlling said first mobile robot.
35. The system of claim 34 , wherein said first mobile robot includes an arbitrator.
36. The system of claim 29 , further comprising a wireless base station coupled to said first mobile robot and said broadband network.
37. A method for operating a mobile robot, comprising:
entering a command to move a first mobile robot through an input of a second mobile robot that is controlled by a user;
transmitting the command through a broadband network;
moving the first mobile robot across a floor surface;
moving together a camera and a monitor of the first mobile robot; and,
moving together a camera and a monitor of the second mobile robot.
38. The method of claim 37 , further comprising conducting a teleconference between the first and second mobile robots through the broadband network.
39. The method of claim 37 , wherein entering the command is moving a joystick of the second mobile robot.
40. The method of claim 37 , further comprising entering a command to move the first mobile robot from a remote station, the command being transmitted through the broadband network.