(Source: MARKETWIRE)

GeckoSystems Intl. Corp. (PINKSHEETS: GCKO)
(http://www.geckosystems.com/) -- announced today that they are very
pleased with the recent press coverage they have received from
Forbes.com and other notable online authors. GeckoSystems is a
dynamic leader in the emerging mobile robotics industry
revolutionizing their development and usage with "Mobile Robot
Solutions for Safety, Security and Service(TM)."
"All of us here at GeckoSystems are excited about Courtney Boyd
Myers' article entitled, 'Silicon Stethoscopes: Telepresence
technologies and robotics promise another way to ease future health
care burdens.'
(http://www.forbes.com/2009/09/17/robots-health-care-technology-breakthroughs-telehealth.html)
Myers is a Forbes.com senior journalist covering AI and robotics
developments. She is the editor of 'The AI Report: the Past, Present
and Future of Artificial Intelligence.' While we are humbled by our
inclusion in an article discussing the in-home medical monitoring
marketplace with other industry giants such as General Electric,
Microsoft Corp., iRobot Corp., Cisco Systems, Inc. and Google, Inc.,
we are very pleased and appreciative to receive this kind of
recognition for our many years of hard work," stated Martin Spencer,
President/CEO, GeckoSystems.
Many in the U.S. may mistakenly believe that the Japanese are world
leaders in personal robot development. However, this is not the case.
In the last ten years, the Japanese government has granted over $100M
in R&D funding amongst their leading international manufacturers for
the development of eldercare personal companion robots, but still
have no viable products developed. An excellent illustration of this
is Matsushita's recent failure when they attempted to sell their
"Wakamaru" personal companion robot. Many observers believe it lacked
sufficient cost effective utility that prevented it from being
perceived as a "value" by the Japanese consumer. It has been taken
off the market.
As predicted in the Forbes' article, due to the sufficiency and cost
effective robustness of GeckoSystems' first product, the CareBot(TM),
near term in home evaluation trials have been recently announced.
"In the U.S. we project the available market size in dollars for cost
effective, utilitarian, multitasking eldercare personal companion
robots in 2010 to be $74.0B, in 2011 to be $77B, in 2012 to be $80B,
in 2013 to be $83.3B, and in 2014 to be $86.6B. With market
penetrations of 0.03% in 2010, 0.06% in 2011, 0.22% in 2012, 0.53% in
2013, and 0.81% in 2014, we will anticipate sales, from this consumer
market segment only, of $22.0M, $44.0M, $176M, $440.2M, and $704.3M,
respectively. We expect these sales despite -- and perhaps because
of -- the present recession due to pent up demand for significant
cost reduction in eldercare expenses," concluded Spencer.
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(TM), 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.
Journalists are encouraged to contact Mr. Spencer regarding the
progress of GeckoSystems and potential attendance at the upcoming
GeckoSystems' invitation only "Mobile Robots in Motion" Conference.
They may submit their request at their website or call 678-413-1640.
Other recent online articles:
"Personal Robots to Monitor Elderly Vital Signs" - June 16, 2009
By C. G. Masi
http://cgmasi.com/eyeontechnology/2009/06/personal-robots-to-monitor-elderly-vital-signs.html
"The Robots Have Dawned: Meet The CareBot(TM)" - June 28, 2009
By Ira Rosofsky, Ph.D
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/adventures-in-old-age/200906/the-robots-have-dawned-meet-the-carebot
About GeckoSystems International Corporation:
Since 1997, GeckoSystems has developed a comprehensive, coherent, and
sufficient suite of hardware and software inventions to enable a new
type of home appliance (a personal companion robot), the CareBot(TM),
to be created for the mass consumer marketplace. The suite of primary
inventions includes: GeckoNav(TM), GeckoChat(TM) and GeckoTrak(TM).
The primary market for this product is the family for use in
eldercare, care for the chronically ill, and childcare. The primary
distribution channel for this new home appliance is the thousands of
independent personal computer retailers in the U.S. The manufacturing
infrastructure for this new product category of mobile service robots
is essentially the same as the personal computer industry. Several
outside contract manufacturers have been identified and qualified
their ability to produce up to 1,000 CareBots per month within four
to six months.
The Company is market driven.