At CES 2022, Labrador Systems unveiled its latest personal robot called Labrador Retriever. This household robot aims to empower people with mobility issues and chronic pain. It’s designed to work as an extra pair of hands to do almost everything. For instance, it can bring items within reach, move heavy loads (up to 25 pounds) from one area to another, or deliver a tray of snacks to any room in a house.
The Retriever looks like a robot vacuum with a tiny janitor’s cart integrated on its top. It even comes embedded with a scissor jack that helps the robot to rise to your countertop’s height. So, it can easily retrieve or deliver a snack tray of up to 10 pounds of drinks, meals, fruits, and other bowls.
There’s a pair of arms concealed within the top shelf. These arms slide out and retrieve the tray while pushing it on a table or countertop. It happens when it’s trying to reach a destination. When not in use, these arms remain concealed. For extra safety precaution, sudden weight change during height change stops its movement. It even includes a lower shelf to carry additional items like tissues, water bottles, books, or anything else.
Furthermore, this personal robot comes with a USB port for charging mobile devices. It even includes a removable tablet stand. The firm is also planning to come up with a modified version of a mini-fridge. This new fridge will open itself whenever the robot approaches.
Speaking of its integrated technology, the self-driving robot uses a proprietary navigation system. This system depends on a 3D map and a combination of augmented-reality algorithms. That’s how a map of your house is created.
This map includes “bus stops” for appliances, doors, and similar items. Meanwhile, it enables the robot to move through even the tightest spaces without bumping into things that to embedded contact and bumpers sensors. The onboard cameras offer a 360-degree view for avoiding objects. This robot certainly cannot climb stairs, but it can handle any ADA-compliant transition.
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You can control this self-driving robot using a touchscreen, Alexa voice commands, a mobile app, or simply by pressing a button on board. This robot may operate smoothly on a preset schedule for automatically delivering items at certain locations and times. For instance, it can remind people when it’s time to eat or take medication. According to the company, this robot operates for a whole day on battery power and gets back to its docking station for recharge. A full recharge takes 2 to 3 hours.
You can order Retriever along with its base model, Labrador Caddie. And, it will be sold based on a subscription model. The company further offers special prices for early adopters who put a refundable deposit of $250 for reserving the unit. Furthermore, you have to bear a monthly fee of $99 to $149 for up to 36 months along with an upfront payment of $1,500.
