Immersive Telepresence Robot Vision System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current telepresence robots fail to provide a remote user with an immersive video experience similar to actual presence at a remote environment, lacking peripheral awareness and effective collaboration tools.
Innovation Solution
A telepresence robot equipped with a vision system comprising forward, right, and left imaging sensors that capture and combine video feeds to provide a combined video feed, allowing remote users to experience an immersive peripheral view, with adjustable tilt angles and zoom levels to enhance the viewing state and correct for wide-angle distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple imaging sensors are used to capture peripheral video feeds, then the field of view and peripheral awareness are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vision system is segmented into multiple independent imaging sensors (forward, left, and right sensors), each capturing a specific portion of the environment. This segmentation allows the system to achieve a comprehensive field of view while managing complexity by dividing the overall sensing function into manageable, specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple video feeds from separate imaging sensors into a single combined video feed that presents a unified immersive view to the remote user. This combining process integrates the outputs of multiple sensors to create a cohesive peripheral awareness experience without requiring the user to manually switch between multiple camera views.
2Loss of information
If imaging sensors are disposed at different locations on the robot, then the peripheral awareness and immersive experience are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging sensors are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration around the robot head, with sensors positioned at different vertical heights and horizontal locations. This spatial distribution across multiple dimensions maximizes the peripheral coverage while the system processes these multi-dimensional inputs to create a unified two-dimensional immersive view for the remote user.
3Ease of operation
If the forward imaging sensor tilt angle and zoom level are adjusted, then the viewing state and collaboration effectiveness are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The forward imaging sensor is equipped with dynamic adjustment capabilities, allowing the tilt angle and zoom level to be modified in real-time based on user input and environmental conditions. This dynamic adaptability enables the system to optimize the viewing state for different collaboration scenarios, such as focusing on distant objects or expanding the view of nearby participants.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes receiving, at a mobile teleconferencing robot, a remote user input to alter a viewing state of a vision system of the robot. The vision system includes a forward imaging sensor arranged to capture a forward video feed, a right imaging sensor arranged to capture a right video feed, and a left imaging sensor arranged to capture a left video feed, each with respect to a forward drive direction of the mobile teleconferencing robot. The method includes altering the viewing state of the vision system by adjusting a tilt angle and/or a zoom level of the forward imaging sensor based on the remote user input and generating a combined video feed that provides an immersive peripheral view about the robot. The combined video feed is generated by combining the forward video feed with a portion of the right video feed and a portion of the left video feed.