An agent for intelligent spaces: functions and roles of mobile robots in sensored, networked and thinking spaces

Intelligent spaces are rooms or areas that are equipped with sensors which enable the spaces to perceive and understand what is happening in them. Intelligent spaces are expected to have a broad range of applications such in homes, offices, factories etc. However, intelligent space itself can not do any physical action. The intelligent space needs agents in the physical world to carry out its actions. We believe that these agents will be mobile robots. In this paper we propose roles and functions which are needed for a mobile robot to be an agent in the intelligent space. We first describe our intelligent space and mobile robot system. A stereo vision system that is capable of tracking the 3D movements of humans and mobile robots in real time is used as the visual sensor of the intelligent space. The mobile robot has ultrasonic sensors which it uses to avoid unexpected obstacles and rotary encoders for simple self-localization. We show several simulation and experimental results.