Investors: Press Release
GeckoSystems To Discuss Expansion Capabilities of CareBots™ at "Mobile Robots in Motion" Conference
CONYERS, GA, -- March 3, 2010 -- GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. (PINKSHEETS: GCKO) -- announced today that they will be discussing and demonstrating the realization of their long time design goals for mobile service robot expandability, extensibility, and non-obsolescence of their "Mobile Robot Solutions for Safety, Security, and Service™" at their "Mobile Robots in Motion" conference March 24-25, 2010.
"Through out the world, many countries (such as the U.S., Japan, the U.K., etc.) are very concerned with reducing health care costs, particularly in the delivery. The now common access to the Internet by the consumer and professional health care organizations has enabled easy data communication between people, their homes, and commercial workplaces. Just as it was, and remains important, that personal computers be easily upgraded and expanded into new productivity boosting tasks, so is GeckoSystems' CareBot. GeckoSystems' mobile robot solutions use a multi-layered 'biological hierarchical' hardware and software architecture. Virtually all forms of life in our world have this innate capability.
"One might ask: 'What vital signs data can the CareBot collect and who gets to see that data?' GeckoSystems' CareBot has an onboard local area network (LAN) that enables literally dozens of computers and devices to be used concurrently on board. (Presently there are over ten.) The CareBot has Internet accessibility. It can send and receive email with files attached. It can read email out loud for the care receiver using GeckoChat. And it can forward files to authorized persons via the Internet.
"If a healthcare professional deems (and is authorized by the primary care giver) that the CareBot should request a blood pressure reading, and it has that third party system incorporated, it can take that data and send it to the parties designated by the primary caregiver. If the health care professional determines that blood sugar should be checked, and the CareBot has that third party system incorporated, once again it can take that data, perhaps using voice prompts from GeckoChat™ to assist the care receiver in that reading, and once again send it to the parties designated by the primary caregiver.
"If there is a need for video conferencing between the caregiver (or a medical professional) and care receiver, the robustness of the CareBot's 'biological hierarchical' architecture enables that to readily be employed over the Internet just as we presently use webcams and the Internet for spontaneous video conferencing.
"One might also ask: 'What enables the CareBot to do this?' It is a guided process for vital signs using appropriate third party sensor systems using GeckoChat to interact verbally and GeckoScheduler™ to know when to perform a timely guided body temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate, oxygenation level, or blood glucose level measurements. If the care receiver does not comply with the guidance from the CareBot, the personal companion robot may be programmed to notify the primary care giver, and/or others, of the care receivers' refusal or inability to assist in the needed vital sign updates," explained Martin Spencer, President/CEO, GeckoSystems.
From a hardware and software standpoint, the short answer is the multiple onboard computers in a LAN configuration layered on top of the GeckoSPIO™, our advanced mobile robot controller board. For example, GeckoChat can communicate not only with people, but also literally dozens and dozens of different sensors and/or sensor systems using the GeckoSPIO. These 'expansion cards' can be for blood pressure, pulse rate, oxygenation level, blood sugar level, etc. and be physically mounted on board the CareBot. The GeckoSuper™ coordinates data from all the sensor systems by way of the GeckoSPIO in concert with verbal interaction with GeckoChat such that the CareBot can respond in appropriate and timely ways.
"The GeckoSPIO is the critical interface between the robot's physical platform and higher AI functions. This interface provides a level of abstraction for the commands sent to, and the data sent from, the robot platform. The abstraction and hierarchal architecture the GeckoSPIO provides simplifies interacting with the platform and the real world for the high-level software, along with enabling a wide array of sensor fusion techniques," stated Mark Peele, Vice President, Research and Development, GeckoSystems.
The GeckoSPIO enables sensor fusion and management with seven eight-bit MCU's with eight pulse width modulation (PWM) outputs; over two hundred digital, forty analog to digital, seventeen serial, and two 10/100mhz Ethernet ports. Sensors worn by the care receiver can be accessed by the CareBot wirelessly for transmission to the primary care giver and other authorized parties via the Internet. Vital sign sensors such as blood pressure, pulse rate, etc. can be on board the CareBot and that data transmitted to suitable parties.
"Since we began our world's first in home evaluation trials for eldercare capable personal robots late last fall, we have received many inquiries as to 'how are they going?' Very well and better than expected in some significant ways, so all of us here at GeckoSystems are excited about this upcoming "Mobile Robots in Motion" stakeholder conference to publicly demonstrate our state of the art mobile robots, their technologies and our first product, a personal companion robot, the CareBot.
"We will be having this conference in our new (since Jan. 1 this year), 4,000 square feet R&D and manufacturing facility in the Honey Creek area of Rockdale County, just south of Conyers, Ga. We believe our attendees' planned presence is due to not only our flagship product, our proprietary automatic self-navigation software, GeckoNav™, but also the reality that we have a complete multitasking personal companion robot, the CareBot, with verbal interaction and 'command and control' capabilities arising from GeckoChat, and the ability to routinely follow a designated family member with GeckoTrak™ that has been in limited evaluation trials for over two months now," reminded Spencer.
Discussions and live demonstrations of many, if not most, GeckoSystems' mobile robot solutions such as GeckoNav™, GeckoChat, GeckoTrak, GeckoScheduler, GeckoZap™, GeckoOrient™, GeckoSPIO, GeckoMotorController™, the CompoundedSensorArray™, etc. will be presented during this two day conference. This conference, with its live demonstrations, will enable many industry observers and investors to witness and determine for themselves the proximity to market and consumer acceptance GeckoSystems' first product, the CareBot, will enjoy. Additionally they will be better able to evaluate the probability of income streams from technology licensing and applicability in other markets besides the consumer, such as commercial security, commercial cleaning, public safety, professional healthcare, government systems, agriculture, and education.
Like an automobile, mobile robots are made from steel, aluminum, plastic, and electronics, but with ten to twenty times the amount of software running. The CareBot has an aluminum frame, plastic shroud, two independently driven wheels, multiple sensor systems, microprocessors and several onboard computers connected in a local area network (LAN). The microprocessors directly interact with the sensor systems and transmit data to the onboard computers. The onboard computers each run independent, highly specialized cooperative/subsumptive artificial intelligence (AI) software programs, GeckoSavants™, which interact to complete tasks in a timely, intelligent and common sense manner. GeckoNav, GeckoChat and GeckoTrak are primary GeckoSavants. GeckoNav is responsible for maneuvering, avoiding dynamic and/or static obstacles, seeking waypoints and patrolling. GeckoChat is responsible for interaction with the care-receiver such as answering questions, assisting with daily routines and reminders, and responding to other verbal commands. GeckoTrak, which is mostly transparent to the user, enables the CareBot to maintain proximity to the care-receiver using sensor fusion. The CareBot is an internet appliance that is accessible for remote video/audio monitoring and telepresence.
"One of the many reasons we had our conference last fall, and perhaps several this year, is that 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating.' In other words, very few people have ever seen a personal companion robot in action and consequently do not understand how difficult our many inventions are to achieve. However, live demonstrations give our suite of enabling, proprietary technologies credence and value. We have several large markets before us due to our 'first mover' advantage in them. We are hopeful that some of the firms with which we are having licensing discussions regarding usage of some our technologies will also be in attendance," concluded Spencer.
Journalists are encouraged to contact Mr. Spencer regarding the progress of GeckoSystems' in home evaluation trials and potential attendance at their upcoming invitation only "Mobile Robots in Motion" conference. Journalists and other interested parties may submit their request for an invitation at their website or call 678-413-9236.