People who are blind or visually impaired, even Alzheimer’s patients, gain an ally with Tefi, the robot guide dog.
This “animal” created by the Higher Council for Scientific Research of Spain it is programmed to be guided by Google Maps, in addition to performing other important functions for user protection.
Its name comes from the place where it was born: the Institute of Physical and Information Technologies (ITEFI), located in Madrid.
The team of scientists worked based on the robot manufactured by Unitree Go1, a Chinese company. And there were several advances, such as:
- Being able to distinguish between an object and a person, thanks to its Artificial Intelligence system and the camera on its head.
- Stay informed in real time, thanks to the connection with Google.
- Communicate with its owner and other people by voice.
Gerardo Portilla, a doctor in Robotics from the CSIC, spoke in a statement about the benefits of Tefi.
“In addition to notifying his owner of the time at which he has a medical appointment, Tefi is able to guide you directly to the consultation, using only a plan of the building that can be obtained if it is accessible”.
“Thanks to its connection to the mobile phone network,” adds Portilla, “the robot can also request a taxi so that the patient doesn’t have to worry about anything.”
Highlights of Tefi, the guide dog robot
In addition to having GPS for outdoor travel, using Google Maps to go to various places, Tefi also works with algorithms for Artificial intelligence for vision.
With them you can identify different objects, such as traffic signs, traffic lights, streets, people, chairs, tables, computers and QR code information, according to the CSIC statement.
Tefi can help in any environment, including stairs and rough terrain.
“Obviously it will never replace an animal, that provides company and affection”, points out Francisco Montero de Espinosa, a CSIC researcher, “but the range of possibilities and applications is quite wide”.
In the future they hope to add sensors to detect warning signs in the user, such as high blood pressure, or the presence of volatile chemical agents in a home.