We present a framework for creating an open platform where a variety of robots collaborate via communication networks to provide us with our daily life support. We describe the architecture of the network robot platform, which consists of a connection unit to connect robots to the platform, an area management gateway to manage multiple robot resources, and a robot-user interaction database to share user, robot, and service information, to provide advanced services through multiple robot collaboration. We confirmed its functions using an announcement service as an example of application on the platform.

We have been studying a remote-collaboration system called SCOPE (sight collaboration by projection effect) featuring image projecting and capturing capabilities as implemented in a maintenance robot. With the help of SCOPE and a remote support person, an on-site worker can perform maintenance very efficiently. We propose a mobile SCOPE that can significantly expand the area of activity of the conventional SCOPE. To enable an on-site worker to share the field of view of a remote support person, we developed a technique for aligning the optical axes of a camera and a projector. We present experimental data that demonstrates the validity of our optomechanical design. Finally, we show that the mobile SCOPE enables workers to continuously share their field of view, no matter where the mobile SCOPE moves. Index Terms -Remote collaboration, Shared field of view, Mobile robot, Camera and projector, Tele-operation.

To create a more efficient environment in which to perform remote maintenance, the authors propose a novel collaboration concept, called robot-augmented communication (RAC). In RAC a maintenance robot and an on-site human worker are assisted by another skilled human operator at a remote support center. By emphasizing the intentions of the remote supporter through robot functions that cannot be imitated by humans, RAC can provide effective support for the on-site worker. In the present study, as the first manifestation of RAC, featuring the projection capability of a maintenance robot, a prototype remote-collaboration system named SCOPE (sight collaboration by projection effect) was developed. This system consists of a projector unit with a camera, a multiple control unit (MCU) for video/voice communications, and PCs connected via a network. It has three key functions: creating a shared field of view between a remote supporter and an on-site worker, keeping meta-information related to objects in real space, and projecting meta-information onto the objects. The effectiveness of these functions was evaluated by experiments on two fundamental tasks-"comprehending a target object" and "transmission of instruction details"-involved in a typical maintenance operation. The experimental results show that each function is effective in shortening the time taken to perform the maintenance operation.

We have been studying a remote-collaboration system called SCOPE (sight collaboration by projection effect) featuring image projecting and capturing capabilities as implemented in a maintenance robot. With the help of SCOPE and a remote support person, an on-site worker can perform maintenance very efficiently. In this paper, we propose a mobile SCOPE named Campro-R that can significantly expand the area of activity of the conventional SCOPE. To enable an on-site worker to share the field of view of a remote support person, we developed a technique for aligning the optical axes of a camera and a projector. We present experimental data that demonstrates the validity of our optomechanical design. Finally, we show that the Campro-R enables workers to continuously share their field of view, no matter where the Campro-R moves.

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