While the XXXII Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo have been postponed from next month to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, robotics companies are already preparing for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in China. The Shougang Park in Beijing will be a showcase for the integration of sport, culture, and smart technology services, according to organizers. Rocos Global Ltd. said today that its Robot Operations platform will coordinate service robots from multiple companies.
Auckland, New Zealand-based Rocos said its system will manage service robots from UURobot (also known as Canbot), Beijing Yunji Technology Co., and Anhui USTC iFLYTEK Science and Technology Co., integrating artificial intelligence, big data, management, and operational capabilities.
Beijing-based Canbot currently manufactures humanoid service robots, iFlytek develops processors and software around AI and speech technology, and Yunji makes a delivery robot. Rocos was founded in 2017 and has raised a total of $850,000 to date. The company last month demonstrated remote management of Boston Dynamics’ Spot quadruped robot.
Rocos Robot Operations platform readies for Olympics
Rocos said its Robot Operations platform is a centralized way to build, test, deploy, automate, and coordinate the day-to-day live operations of tens or thousands of robots. It provides a secure service that shortens the time to market for companies looking to automate robot fleets and reduce operational overhead, claimed the company.
The Rocos platform, which is available through Microsoft Corp.’s Azure Marketplace, connects fleets through an agent running on each physical robot. It is designed to enable remote operation, dashboarding, and integration with other systems, as well as local network access for offline operation.
Rocos Robot Operations platform. Source: Microsoft Azure
Not to be outdone by Japan’s plans for deploying robots at the Tokyo Games, the existing models of service robots will deliver goods to guests of one of Shougang Park’s many hotels and provide concierge services to visitors at the park. Robots will also be featured on stage in pavilions and provide information about various events, according to Rocos.
“Beijing 2022 will be a Games of firsts in many ways,” said David Inggs, CEO of Rocos. “As well as being the first Olympic Winter Games to be held in China, Beijing will also hold the distinction of being the first city ever to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Games.”
Inggs told The Robot Report that the companies and Zhongguancun Science Park “are working together to architect the infrastructure necessary to offer the next level of customer service for visitors to the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.”
The service robots will conduct predetermined missions autonomously around Shougang Park and will be managed via dashboards that provide data in real time. Live data feeds will provide information on the location, health, and status of each robot, said Rocos, which serves applications including cleaning, infrastructure inspection, security, and healthcare.
Proactive notifications and alerts will allow operators to identify potential problems and act quickly in running preventative diagnostics and maintenance as needed, said Rocos.
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