New Generation of Robots Help Individuals Live More Independently

A HOLD FreeRelease | eTurboNews | eTN
Avatar of Linda Hohnholz
Written by Linda Hohnholz

Today, Labrador Systems, Inc. introduced the Labrador Retriever, a new type of personal robot that empowers individuals to live more independently by providing practical, physical assistance with everyday activities in the home. The robot functions as an extra pair of hands, helping individuals move large loads from place to place as well as bring critical items within reach. It is designed to lighten the load for millions of Americans who have chronic pain, injury or other health issues that impact their daily activities.

Labrador is unveiling the Retriever at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and will be demonstrating the robot live at the Venetian Expo at Booth #52049. The company also released a video on its website at www.labradorsystems.com that features testimonials from individuals who participated in Labrador’s in-home product trials. Labrador plans to have the Retriever in full production by the second half of 2023, with beta units available earlier. To coincide with the debut of the robot, Labrador opened early reservations for the Retriever with special pricing on its website.

The Labrador Retriever pairs the size and capability of an advanced commercial robot with simplicity of use and appealing design for the home. The robot is large enough to carry a laundry basket and can handle payloads of up to 25 pounds yet can still navigate the tight spaces of a home. It can park itself within inches of an armchair and automatically change its height to bring items easily within reach based on the user’s position. The Retriever includes places for charging a smart phone along with a large storage area to keep other frequently needed items accessible, such as water, medication and personal items.

To support even more use cases and users, the Labrador Retriever also features an innovative retrieval system, capable of retrieving and delivering trays each carrying up to 10 pounds of items. Trays can be stored on shelves, countertops or other surfaces in the home – as well as in a beverage-size refrigerator that Labrador plans to offer, enabling the Retriever to deliver meals, fresh fruit and cold drinks.

Moving objects with your voice

Users can command the Retriever through a variety of easy-to-use interfaces, including by touch screen, a mobile app for the phone, voice (such as via an Alexa-enabled device), or by simply pressing a wireless button. The Retriever can also operate on a pre-set schedule to provide “physical reminders” by automatically delivering items at a specific time and location.

Labrador Systems is supported by the Alexa Fund which invests venture capital into startups advancing the state-of-the-art of ambient computing technology.

The Labrador Retriever is self-driving and guides itself through homes using a proprietary navigation system that fuses algorithms from Augmented Reality with robotics to create 3D maps of the home.

This technology, which is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, enables the Retriever to operate in complex and dynamic settings while running on low-cost consumer-grade electronics. Rounding out the system is a dual-layer of sensors for obstacle detection and avoidance.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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