The Market
Service robotics is currently touted as the future of the consumer robotics industry. With clearly successful applications of autonomous floor cleaning systems, and lawn mowers, many consumer electronic companies are looking to tap into the multi-billion dollar market for service robots, but are just lacking a good starting point, nor the technology.

The Robot
Follow-me is a demonstration of a simple service robotics, design, that built for the not-so-simple, everyday task of following you around and carrying your stuff for you. There are dozens of specific applications for which this could be used; helping the elderly or the handicapped, carrying luggage around the airport, hauling files around an office environment, moving laundry around a household, or any other task which involves carrying something around a structured environment. The robot follows a beacon which could be sewn into a piece of clothing, or worn on a belt loop. Whoever has the beacon, the robot tries to stay within a fixed distance from the wearer, while avoiding any obstacles that might be in the path of travel. Like all the other robots, OLogic has worked on, this robot is totally autonomous, and tries to make intelligent decisions on what to do next.

Follow-Me Features:

• Custom designed board stack
• 190 degree field of view sonar array for obstacle avoidance
• Sonar-based follow-me technology for following beacon
• 12v permanent magnet motors
• Optical encoder closed loop motion control
• Remote, electronic E-Stop for safety
• Large carrying bin for hauling small loads 20-40 pounds in weight