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Exosphere

by Synthiam

Exosphere combines telepresence, artificial intelligence, machine learning and human assistance to give autonomous behaviors to cloud robotics.

How to add the Exosphere robot skill

  1. Load the most recent release of ARC (Get ARC).
  2. Press the Project tab from the top menu bar in ARC.
  3. Press Add Robot Skill from the button ribbon bar in ARC.
  4. Choose the Remote Control category tab.
  5. Press the Exosphere icon to add the robot skill to your project.

Don't have a robot yet?

Follow the Getting Started Guide to build a robot and use the Exosphere robot skill.

How to use the Exosphere robot skill

Exosphere is a game-changing product that allows users to control robots remotely to complete tasks anywhere with an internet connection. You can use your phone or tablet to control a robot or add your robot to be controlled by others. This product gives you the power to help make the world a safer place and improve business efficiency.

Exosphere gives any robot the ability to execute autonomous tasks or telepresence capabilities in the workplace or home with human intelligence. Exosphere bridges the gap between robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.



Who Is Exosphere For?
It’s for any robot to be remotely controlled by a human to achieve tasks or become a telepresence host. 

The way we think is being taught to AI algorithms to include moral hesitation, judgment, and responsibility. This is why AI greatly benefits from human interaction. With nearly 3 million robot connections on Synthiam’s platform, when the exosphere is publicly released, robots from around the world are added daily with new tasks. These tasks are created for real robots with real problems to solve. This gets AI out of the lab and into the real world.

Exosphere can control as much or little as necessary to help robots achieve their goals, even if that means using human intelligence to fill in the 10% edge cases that robots can’t do.

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How Does It Work?
1. A robot is instructed to execute a task.
2. The task is submitted to Exosphere as a contract request.
3. AI/ML and humans provide a confidence bid to win the contract.
4. If AI/ML can’t control the robot to perform a task successfully, another contract is issued to a human operator to take over or assist the robot. In turn, training the global AI knowledge base for future task requests.

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Main Window - Control Tab


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1. Control and Log Tabs
This selects between the Control and Log sections of the Exosphere Skill main window.

2. Task Description Field
Enter the description of the task you are generating, with detailed instructions for the user who will be accepting the task. 

3. Submit/Cancel Task Button
Once the task is submitted, a remote operator will take control of the robot. It is highly recommended to monitor the robot remotely to avoid hazards to the robot or damage to the environment. Once a task is submitted to the Synthiam servers, website users will be notified. You can also use this button for an emergency stop to cancel the task when it's running.

4. Task Details Field
Displays the time the task was requested, who picked up the task, and when.

Main Window - Log Tab


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1. Log Selection Drop-Down
This selects the level of information you would like to see in the Log Display window. Verbose, Debug, Error, or None.

2. Clear Log Button
Clears the Log Display Window.

3. Log Display Window
Displays the Log information when errors occur. The amount of information is tailored by the Log Selection Drop-down.

Configuration - General Tab


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1. Robot Model and Description
Write in your Robot's Make, Model, and Title. Then add a description of it which describes the Robot's qualities.

2. Session Password and Minimum Rating
Optionally set a password and a minimum rating a user must have to control your robot.
Note: *These features have not been implemented yet* 

3. Maximum Joystick Drive Speed 
Use the drop-down to set the maximum speed of your robot being controlled by the Joystick. If your robot is connected to ARC, you can use the on-screen Joystick to test the speed.

4. Keyboard Drive Speed 
Use the drop-down to set the maximum speed of your robot being controlled by the Keyboard. If your robot is connected to ARC, you can use the "Test Forward" and "Stop" buttons to test with. 

Configuration - Scripts Tab


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1. Task Created, Accepted, and Completed Scripts
This section allows you to add scripts that will execute when the following conditions are met: your task is created, accepted, or completed.

2. User Defined Scripts
Add additional scripts to your generated Exosphere task. They will show up as playable scripts on your generated Task in the order you have them added.

Configuration - Advanced Tab


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1. Audio
If enabled, this section allows the user who accepts your task to hear through your robot's microphone with the settings you configure. This allows you to communicate with the user in real-time.

2. Text to Speech Check-box
Once enabled, the user can write text responses that will be converted to audio. The audio will come out of your robot's speaker.

3. Video Settings
You can select an installed video device for the user to use for real-time visual feedback. You can use the check box to send video tracking information to the user as well. 

4. Telepresence Mode
Enabling this allows two-way communication between the remote operator and the robot. The remote operator's camera video and audio will be displayed in fullscreen on the robot. This allows the robot to approach someone and have a two-way conversation with the remote operator. At the end of the session, the "rating" window is not displayed to the remote operator. There is a tutorial on configuring a robot for exosphere telepresence by clicking here.

5. Experimental Features
These are internal development features. These features may not work and are not documented.

Configuration - User Access Tab


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1. Username Field
This field allows you to write in a username.

2. Access Type
Once the add button is pressed, it will add the inputted username into your Access list and assign it to the selected access type (in the drop-down).

3. Access List
This window displays the users you have added and their access type.

How to Use the Exosphere Skill


1) Add the Camera device skill to your ARC project (Project -> Add Skill -> Camera -> Camera Device).

2) Add a Movement Panel skill to your ARC project that matches your robot (Project -> Add Skill -> Movement Panels).

3) Add the Exosphere skill to your ARC project (Project -> Add Skill -> Machine Learning -> Exosphere).

4) Add a brief description of your task to the task description field in the Exosphere skill main window.

5) Click the Submit Task button. The task is now on the Synthiam servers awaiting a user to pick it up.

6) Once the task is completed. Rate the user in three areas on how well the task was completed. 5 stars = the best job. This will help advance the machine learning database with reinforcement learning.

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Compatibility


With the onset of pandemics like Covid-19, Exosphere needs to have compatibility with existing robots to leverage their ability with human operators while training the knowledge base for future autonomous behaviors. Exosphere was designed as a web service & skill to allow connections from existing robots or control software, such as ROS or ARC. However, it only takes minutes to add any robot to Exosphere with Synthiam’s ARC software. As per the Synthiam way, we’ll be adding many tutorials that demonstrate how to add various robots to Exosphere using ARC.

ARC Pro

Upgrade to ARC Pro

Synthiam ARC Pro is a cool new tool that will help unleash your creativity with programming robots in just seconds!

#157  
@Mickey666Maus  You have to find it.  I thought Jer's office was the game consoles.  just kidding Jer.
#158  
OMG...I edited my post three times to get Jerimies name right!!
I am drunk!!
#160  
@Mickey666Maus   This is in Canada not Germany it is illegal to drive Robots Drunk.
PRO
USA
#161  
Where did everyone go? lol

EzAng
PRO
USA
#162  
come back and try it
PRO
USA
#163  
very good admin

how do you get it to ask  a question? like directions, excuse me

EzAng
PRO
Synthiam
#164  
Add a script in the exosphere control
PRO
USA
#165   — Edited
ok I will try

EzAng
PRO
USA
#166   — Edited
I figures it out

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EzAng
PRO
USA
#167  
find Jeremy's  office today?

Ezang
PRO
Synthiam
#168   — Edited
Added optional two way telepresence option in config menu in latest update
PRO
USA
#169  
I will try it soon as I back from the farm tomorrow.

Thanks,

EzAng
#170  
Ok, I feel like I'm late to the party here.  We can start controlling each other's robots?  Oh my!xD
PRO
Synthiam
#171  
Updated to not prompt for ML reinforcement questions when used in telepresence mode
PRO
Synthiam
#172  
Updated for a few bug fixes
Portugal
#173  
How about the custom control configuration DJ? Any plans?
PRO
Synthiam
#174   — Edited
Yah - with api access there’s a few enterprise customers that have custom UI. Api access isn’t available with pro. It’s documented on the ARC product page:)

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in the meantime for pro users, create scripts and the buttons will show up.
#175  
Version 67 has been updated with bug fixes. Specifically, recovery from network error will launch the Completed script rather than sit idle after presenting the error.
#176  
Updated v68 to remove the Use Custom User Interface option in preparation for a significant ARC update that deprecates this functionality and replaces it with a new feature.