Robot takes care of home security

Fujitsu Laboratories has developed a household robot that it claims can be remotely controlled by mobile phone.

The prototype robot, the Maron-1, has been designed to monitor and safeguard the home.

The Maron-1 can be remotely controlled using a mobile phone to take pictures via an inbuilt camera and download them to the phone's screen, so that the owner can check conditions at home.

The owner can also give precise commands for moving the robot forward, backward or turning in a desired direction.

In addition, by storing the home's layout in the robot's memory, the owner can give the robot a predetermined destination, and it will automatically navigate to that point, avoiding obstacles.

The robot watchdog can also detect anything or anyone unusual entering its field of view. If it spots an intruder or any unusual activity, it sounds an alarm or calls a pre-set number.

An infrared remote control capability offers more flexibility, such as operating appliances like the air conditioning, televisions and VCRs.

Or, none of this takes your fancy, the robot also doubles as a telephone.

Fujitsu will be presenting details on the new robot at the Japan Robot Conference, starting on 12 October at Osaka University.