System and Method for Responding to Emergencies Using Robotic Assistance

• US 20180169866A1
• Filed: 12/16/2016
• Published: 06/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fetch Robotics, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wise, Melonee
• Granted Patent: US 10,356,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method includes: providing to a robot, by a system, a predetermined behavior configured to help an emergency responder; directing the robot, by the system, to a designated location; instructing the robot, by the system, to gather emergency data; receiving, by the system, from the robot, the gathered emergency data; and transmitting the emergency data, by the system, to the emergency responder. A method for responding to emergencies using robotic assistance includes: receiving, by a robot, from a system for responding to emergencies using robotic assistance, a predetermined behavior configured to help an emergency responder; instituting, by the robot, the predetermined behavior; receiving, by the robot, a direction to a designated location; proceeding, by the robot, to the designated location; receiving, by the robot, an instruction to gather emergency data; gathering, by the robot, the emergency data; and transmitting, by the robot to the system, the gathered emergency data.

Claims

1. A method for responding to emergencies using robotic assistance, comprising:

providing to a robot, by a system for responding to emergencies using robotic assistance, a predetermined behavior configured to help an emergency responder;

directing the robot, by the system, to a designated location;

instructing the robot, by the system, to gather emergency data;

receiving, by the system, from the robot, the gathered emergency data; and

transmitting the emergency data, by the system, to the emergency responder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined behavior comprises one or more of the robot positioning one or more of itself and a second robot in a more optimal position for emergency response, searching for a location of the emergency, leading an emergency responder to one or more of an emergency response location and a human;

informing a human that one or more of a human and a third robot is coming; and

another predetermined behavior.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein positioning comprises positioning the one or more of itself and a second robot so as to be out of way of an emergency responder.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein positioning comprises positioning the one or more of itself and a second robot so as to gather the emergency data.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein searching for the location of the emergency comprises searching for one or more of flames, smoke, holes in a site of the emergency, earthquake damage in the site, water, wind, criminals, damage to the site from one or more of a robbery and a burglary, and another location of the emergency.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein leading comprises playing a media.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the media comprises audio.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated location comprises one or more of a staging area and an emergency response position, and an end of a specified aisle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the emergency comprises one or more of a fire, an earthquake, a flood, a tornado, a hurricane, a typhoon, a robbery, a burglary, and another emergency.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the behavior can be predetermined according to one or more of user-set criteria and a training run of the system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated location is chosen to be located far from humans.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the directing step comprises directing all robots to the designated location.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the designated location comprises an end of a specified aisle.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering emergency data comprises gathering emergency data using the predetermined behavior.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering emergency data comprises one or more of tracking human movement and counting humans.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein counting comprises counting one or more of humans safely outside of a site of the emergency, humans remaining in the site and humans who leave through an exit from the site.

17. The method of claim 1, further including steps of:

receiving a query from the emergency responder;

selecting a robot to formulate a response to the query;

forwarding the query to the selected robot;

receiving the response to the query from the robot; and

sending the response to the emergency responder.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the query asks if a robot detects motion within a site of the emergency.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the response comprises, if motion is detected within the site, one or more of a map of the system and a map location of the motion.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising a step of:

if motion is detected, directing a robot to investigate the motion.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the query comprises robot data of a region to be inspected before a human begins the inspection.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the response comprises the robot data of the region to be inspected.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the response comprises sensor data of the region to be inspected.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the sensor data comprises streaming sensor data.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the response comprises playing a media to a human.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the media comprises one or more of audio and video.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the media provides instructions to a human located within a site of the emergency.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising additional steps of:

recording data regarding a robot response to the emergency;

playing back the recorded data; and

analyzing the recorded data to improve emergency procedures.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the recorded data comprises one or more of a time for a human to exit a site of the emergency, an average time for a human to exit the site, a number of humans leaving through an exit from the site, exit congestion behavior, an average distance a human traveled to exit the site, information about any items that may have blocked an exit, and other recorded data.

30. A method for responding to emergencies using robotic assistance, comprising:

providing to a robot, by a system for responding to emergencies using robotic assistance, a predetermined behavior configured to help an emergency responder, wherein the behavior is predetermined according to one or more of user-set criteria and a training run of the system;

directing the robot, by the system, to a designated location;

instructing the robot, by the system, to gather emergency data by doing one or more of tracking human movement and counting humans;

receiving, by the system, from the robot, the gathered emergency data;

transmitting the emergency data, by the system, to the emergency responder;

receiving, by the system, a query from the emergency responder;

selecting a robot, by the system, to formulate a response to the query;

forwarding the query, by the system, to the selected robot;

receiving the response to the query, by the system, from the robot;

sending the response, by the system, to the emergency responder;

recording, by the system, data regarding a robot response to the emergency;

playing back, by the system, the recorded data; and

analyzing, by the system, the recorded data to improve emergency procedures.

31. A method for responding to emergencies using robotic assistance, comprising:

receiving, by a robot, from a system for responding to emergencies using robotic assistance, a predetermined behavior configured to help an emergency responder;

instituting, by the robot, the predetermined behavior;

receiving, by the robot, a direction to a designated location;

proceeding, by the robot, to the designated location;

receiving, by the robot, an instruction to gather emergency data;

gathering, by the robot, the emergency data; and

transmitting, by the robot to the system, the gathered emergency data.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the designated location comprises one or more of a staging area and an emergency response position.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the emergency comprises one or more of a fire, an earthquake, a flood, a tornado, a hurricane, a typhoon, a robbery, a burglary, and another emergency.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the behavior can be predetermined according to one or more of user-set criteria and a training run of the system.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the gathering step comprises one or more of tracking human movement and counting humans.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein counting comprises counting one or more of humans safely outside of a site of the emergency, humans remaining in the site and humans who leave through an exit from the site.

37. The method of claim 31, further including steps of:

receiving from the system a query from the emergency responder;

responding to the query; and

sending the response to the system.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the query asks if a robot detects motion within a site of the emergency.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising a step of:

if motion is detected, investigating the motion.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the query comprises robot data of a region to be inspected before a human begins the inspection.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the response comprises the robot data of the region to be inspected.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the query comprises sensor data of the region to be inspected.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein the query comprises playing a media to a human.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the media comprises audio.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the audio provides instructions to a human still within a site of the emergency.

46. The method of claim 31, further comprising additional steps of:

recording data regarding a robot response to the emergency;

playing back the recorded data; and

analyzing the recorded data to improve emergency procedures.