Bot 0 - 1980


The story of ROBOSOFT starts in the early 80s at INRIA, where a a research team developed its first autonomous mobile robot. The goal of the research team was to demonstrate robots guided by vision. For real demonstrations, the team built a mobile platform from an electric wheelchair. This platform became the robuTER a few years later, the first generic product of ROBOSOFT.

 

 

 

 

Firts bot - 1985


Founders team, 1985

The Robosoft founders, showing the first mobile robot called Robuter, delivered to INRIA early 1986
From Left to right :
Vincent Dupourqué, Marie-Danièle Dupourqué, Stéphane Korzin, Lionel Pailliez, Olivier Ishacian
Philippe Deibert , Jean-Yves Belmonte, Hervé Guiot

 

 

 

Cleaning robot - 1986


Thanks to an early partnership with GSF, a major cleaning contractor, the feasability of using robots for cleaning floors have been introduced in September 1986 (ISIR Robotex, Brussels, Belgium). This prototype was a robuTER equipped with a vacuum-cleaner, and remotely controlled by a human operator.

 

 

robuTERs - 1986


From 1986, ROBOSOFT started selling robuTER, one of the first mobile robot dedicated to research and development. Since then, several hundreds units have been manufactured and sold worldwide, and some early robuTERs are still in service. Having high payload capabilities (several hundreds kg), the robuTER was a very reliable equipment, with advanced programming capabilities thanks to its ALBATROS operating System. Its success came from its flexibility, allowing users to install any type of load, and develop efficiently on-board and off-board software for demonstrations puurposes. The robuTER has been a major contributor to the development of mobile robotics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AutoVaC 2 - 1988


In 1988, always in partnership with GSF, we introduced AutoVaC 2, the first prototype of a true industrial robotized vacuum-cleaner. it was presented first at Robots 12 (Detroit Mi) in June 1988.
The main feature of AutovacC2 was automatic navigation using dead-odometry. Ultrasonic sensors were used for obstacle detection, and the first autonomous navigation algorithms allowed simple teaching-by-showing missions. But we found out at this stage that odometry was not enough for accurate navigation.

 

 

 

Floor cleaning robots - 1990


In the early 90s, we worked a lot on improving the cleaning process for floor cleaning robots : with our partner GSF, we developed several prototypes and combinations of cleaning tools to be robotized, such as optimized vacuum-cleaner powered by batteries, intelligent squeegees ou combinations of brushes and vacuum cleanerrs. These developments helped a lot to design more efficient floor cleaning robots, and brought to our engineers a deep knowledge in robotized cleaning.

 

 

 

 

 

OSCAR - 1991


The first prototype of refilling robot, called OSCAR, has been developed in the early 90s in cooperation with STAB and SEMVAT, the bus operators of Bayonne and Toulouse. This first robots have been working several years, before being replaced by MK4 and MK5 models.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AutoWIND - 1994


Started in 1994, the AutoWIND programme, supported by European Commission, aimed at developping a prototype of an operational cable-suspended platform to be used in window cleaning and maintenance tasks currently performed by human workers. The main objective of the project was to demonstrate the feasability of robots for cleaning windows. The basic mechanical developments led to a sophisticated, sensor-based adaptative platform for the stabilization, adherence and mobility of the autonomous cleaning unit on the glass-surface of the building.

 

 

 

 

Surveillance robot - 1996


In 1996, in cooperation with JRC-ISPRA and supported by European Commission, we demonstrated the feasability of using mobile robots for surveillance. Based on a standard circular robuTER. SMIS, equipped with 2 video cameras, pan-tilt units, various sensors ... has been validated in 2 sites, a mall and a garage for buses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crawling robot - 1999


In 1999, we developed our first crawling robot, using cups powered by a single vacuum-clener and able to carry a load of 50 kg on a vertical surface. This technology, combined with the AUTOWIND project results, led to our firts commercial glass-roof cleaning robot now in operation on the "Pyramide du Louvre".

 

 

 

 

 
 
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