ADAM Mobile Robot Reactive Audio Playback

Dec. 13, 2010
RMT Robotics launches ADAM RAP (Reactive Audio Playback). The programmable sound system includes interactive voice messages and a mobile “vehicle in motion” jukebox for every mood and season. “In developing the ADAM RAP module, we wanted to create a new “vehicle in motion” function that not only improves safety but leverages the power of the ADAM platform to enhance the interactive experience between humans and the mobile robots that they work with every day,” said Bill Torrens, Director of Sales & Marketing for RMT Robotics. AGVs have a standard beeper-based “vehicle in motion” alert system which is mandated by most international safety standards. In most operations however, noise proliferation combined with the monotonous beep of vehicles tends to diminish the alertness of workers with constant exposure. An enhanced audio system that could generate a variety of sounds and automatically associate these sounds with vehicle position or function would dramatically improve the effectiveness of the warning system.

 
RMT Robotics developed the ADAM sound application to play “text to speech” messages, sound bites or musical interludes that can be either actively or passively triggered in reaction to a variety of operational conditions and system inputs. Through the ADAM Commander mapping software, regions on the facility map can be embedded with commands to automatically load specific tunes or prompt a series of voice messages. For example, ADAM may play a song in the aisle ways and then switch to a text to speech-based message saying, “Excuse me I am coming through” as it approaches the region of a doorway. After successfully moving through the doorway, ADAM will automatically revert to playing the original song.

ADAM RAP also has the ability to react to inputs. As another example, if a worker (or object) is fully obstructing the doorway and ADAM is unable to reconcile an alternative path, ADAM will politely enunciate, “Please move, I cannot get around you.” As another example, if the emergency stop button is pressed, ADAM will state, “My emergency stop has been pressed,” or if the Enter Destination button is pressed on the vehicle keypad, ADAM will state, “Thank you, see you later” before proceeding on its mission.
  • includes interactive voice messages
  • enhanced audio system