Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Abstract: A method for monitoring a patient with a robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Abstract: A robot system that includes a robot and a remote station. The remote station may be a personal computer coupled to the robot through a broadband network. A user at the remote station may receive both video and audio from a camera and a microphone of the robot, respectively. The remote station may include a visual display that displays both a first screen field and a second screen field. The first screen field may display a video image provided by a robot camera. The second screen field may display information such as patient records. The information from the second screen field may be moved to the first screen field and also transmitted to the robot for display by a robot monitor. The user at the remote station may annotate the information displayed by the robot monitor to provide a more active video-conferencing experience.

Abstract: A remote controlled robot system that includes a robot and a remote control station. A user can control movement of the robot from the remote control station. The remote control station may generate robot control commands that are transmitted through a broadband network. The robot has a camera that generates video images that are transmitted to the remote control station through the network. The user can control movement of the robot while viewing the video images provided by the robot camera. The robot can automatically stop movement if it does not receive a robot control command within a time interval. The remote control station may transmit a stop command to the robot if the station does not receive an updated video image within a time interval.

Abstract: A business to business mobile teleconferencing system. The system includes a mobile robot that can be remotely operated from a remote station. Both the robot and the remote station may have a camera, a screen, a microphone and a speaker to conduct a teleconference between a user at the remote station and personnel located in viewing proximity of the robot.

Abstract: A system that includes a mobile platform and a remote station. The remote station may be a personal computer coupled to the remote platform through a broadband network. A user can control movement of the mobile platform through the remote station. A medical monitoring device such as a stethoscope or EKG monitor can be coupled to the mobile platform and used to take patient data. The data can be transmitted to the remote station by the mobile platform. The medical monitoring device(s) may be wirelessly coupled to the mobile platform. The system may include a server that can provide an electronic medical record to the remote station. The remote station may have a monitor that displays the electronic medical record and an image captured by a camera of the mobile platform. The system allows a doctor at the remote station to more fully examine a patient while viewing past medical records.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a mobile robot and a remote input device. The input device may be a joystick that is used to move a camera and a mobile platform of the robot. The system may operate in a mode where the mobile platform moves in a camera reference coordinate system. The camera reference coordinate system is fixed to a viewing image provided by the camera so that movement of the robot corresponds to a direction viewed on a screen. This prevents disorientation during movement of the robot if the camera is panned across a viewing area.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Abstract: A robot system that includes a robot and a remote station. The remote station may be a personal computer coupled to the robot through a broadband network. A user at the remote station may receive both video and audio from a camera and microphone of the robot, respectively. The remote station may include a display user interface that has a variety of viewable fields and selectable buttons.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Abstract: A robot system that includes a robot and a remote station. The remote station may be a personal computer coupled to the robot through a broadband network. A user at the remote station may receive both video and audio from a camera and microphone of the robot, respectively. The remote station may include a graphical user interface that can be selected to generate an alert input to the robot. The user initially establishes a voice communication between the remote station and the robot. To obtain video access the user may select a graphical icon to generate and transmit the alert input to the robot. The caller recipient at the robot may grant the request for video of themselves by inputting a response into the robot. This procedure allows someone at the robot to control the initiation of a video-conference with the user of the remote station.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a robot and a remote station. The remote station can generate control commands that are transmitted to the robot through a broadband network. The control commands can be interpreted by the robot to induce action such as robot movement or focusing a robot camera. The robot can generate reporting commands that are transmitted to the remote station through the broadband network. The reporting commands can provide positional feedback or system reports on the robot.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a remote controlled robot. The robot may include a camera, a monitor and a holonomic platform all attached to a robot housing. The robot may be controlled by a remote control station that also has a camera and a monitor. The remote control station may be linked to a base station that is wirelessly coupled to the robot. The cameras and monitors allow a care giver at the remote location to monitor and care for a patient through the robot. The holonomic platform allows the robot to move about a home or facility to locate and/or follow a patient.

Abstract: A robot system that includes a robot and a remote station. The remote station includes a head worn device worn on the head of a user. The head worn device senses movement of the user's head and generates corresponding input signals. The input signals are processed into robot movement commands and transmitted to the robot, typically through a broadband network. The robot movement commands move a camera of the robot. The camera movement tracks movement of the user's head so that the user can scan the visual field without having to generate separate input commands for the robot.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a mobile robot linked to a plurality of remote stations. The robot provides both audio and visual information to the stations. One of the remote stations, a primary station, may control the robot while receiving and providing audio and visual information with the remote controlled robot. The other stations, the secondary stations, may also receive the audio and visual information transmitted between the robot and the primary station. This allows operators of the secondary stations to observe, communicate and be trained through the robot and primary station. Such an approach may reduce the amount of travel required to train personnel.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A robotic system that includes a mobile robot linked to a plurality of remote stations. One of the remote stations includes an arbitrator that controls access to the robot. Each remote station may be assigned a priority that is used by the arbitrator to determine which station has access to the robot. The arbitrator may include notification and call back mechanisms for sending messages relating to an access request and a granting of access for a remote station.