Patent EP-4219090-A1 (EP)
Inventor: SAKARYA TASKIN
IPC: B25J11/00
Filed: 2023-01-10
Abstract: This invention is about a robot at a remote location which is connected to a real person or a thing within a 3D-Modelling-System at a local place where the robot changes its shape to match exactly to the person(s) or things(s) at the local place. This innovation describes several technical solutions to make the robot change its shape to the person or the thing at the local site, for example via displayable surfaces of the robot, via projection on the surface of the robot, via inflatable mechanisms on the surface of the robot in a real environment. 
     The invention also includes a virtual presentation of the person(s) and things(s) within a virtual or semi-real environment. Semi-real environment is a real environment information transferred to a virtual environment where person(s) or things(s) are presented as with their current, real environment. 
     In a telepresence environment, persons or things in one place can be virtually presented at a remote place as holographic 3D presentation either in a task-ins-cubicle achieving full communication and interaction at the remote place as described in the following own patents. 
DE-Patent: DE 10 2012 007 441 B4 
PCT: EP2013/002769 
US-Patent: US 10,728,496 B2 
UK-Patent: GB2536370 
Indian Patent Application No. 201617012621 
     The quality of the holographic view depends on the quality of the screens and the transmission. Blind people has no benefit from the holographic presentation. Both of these drawbacks can be solved and the telepresence can be brought to a more real situation, in case the person appears on the remote site as touchable real person. This can be achieved, in that the 3D modelling made at the local site, for example using task-ins-cubicle local version, the remote site can utilize a morphing of a preliminary setup, for example a humanoid robot, via inflatable modelling system to present this 3D model as close to the real one as possible. Another perfect setup would be to get the 3D Modelling of the person(s) from one or more 3D Modelling Systems for example task-ins-cubicles and then bring them together in a virtual or semi-virtual environment, with their real, current appearance of the persons and things modelled. 
     Robot at the remote site has at least for the front view a multimedia-system, integrating video-audio and control information and sending these back to the local 3D-Modelling-System, for example task-ins.-cubicle-local at the local site, so the person there feels to be at the remote site and can move around walking for example on a mechatronic walking-band, and also can move the hands of the robot synchronised with own, can also see the actions locally of course. This applies both to real and to virtual environments. 
     
       Need 
     
     It is a very big advantage to make a near real presentation of the person that appears at the remote site, because it is not any more dependent on the quality of the transmission or on the quality of screens as in task-ins-cubicle. As the occupied space is also smaller, its usage is more practical. 
     On the other hand, because it is considered a big advantage to introduce not only a static model, i.e. there is need to have walking and talking abilities. So a robotics system could be employed. But not a robotics system that is remotely controlled and have own intelligence, but instead a robotics system that is coupled to a 3D-Modelling-System, for example task-ins-cubicle local and can be used as a telepresence hardware, i.e. decision making actions can be directly made via the person(s) within connected 3d-modelling-system for example task-ins-cubicle local. 
     On the other hand, the remote robot should resemble exactly to the person in task-ins-cubicle local. So it is a robot that morphs itself to the person situated at a remote place. 
     By telepresence, a robotic presentation of the person at another site with many robotics abilities such as walking, moving functional arms, legs and hands and such as talking, with moving lips according to the spoken language, i.e. audible output would be a very big advantage for handling different tasks from a distance and for socialising. 
     By telepresence, there is need that a local real person is connected to self as a hard duplicate but as own person with all actions and but also as important combines the advantages of task-ins-cubicle system, i.e. is able to feel himself/herself at the remote location. 
     A hard appearance of the person makes it easier with blind people to interact too as they can not only hear the person at the remote site, but they can also feel the presence of the person.