Introducing Ozzie, the Greek-Made Robot

Ozzie Robotics has just introduced its Greek-made robot to the market. They named it Ozzie after the Wizard of OZ and, evidently, it can perform a variety of useful tasks.

The company developed is an offshoot of the Institute of Information Technology and Communications (IPTIL) of the National Center for Research and Technological Development (EKETA) in Thessaloniki. Ozzie the robot is their product and they manufactured Ozzie’s robotic system as a whole, both its software and hardware,.

Ozzie’s main functions

Ozzie the robot comes in two sizes. The first has a height of 80 cm and its big “brother” has a height of 120 cm. Its width is about 50-60 cm. Both Ozzies can monitor and support the elderly and patients.

“The robot records if the elderly person is sleeping or if there is movement in the hallway during the night, if there is some kind of disturbance or an accident. Ozzie, based on the appropriate algorithms, moves autonomously in the space, so that it has the best placement. If something unexpected happens to the accompanying person, such as a fall, the robot notifies the relative or the person responsible for caring for the elderly with a mobile message so that immediate help can be provided.”, says Dimitris Giakoumis, one of the company’s co-founders.

The automaton can, for example, record a senior’s activities such as how far he walks, how many hours he lays down, and whether he eats.

According to Giakoumis: ”Today our operating system recognizes a series of activities of the person supporting the robot: if they are eating, if they are drinking, if they are sitting, if they are walking, if they are standing, if they are lying down, if they have fallen down. Once these details have been forwarded to the relative or companion, they are then deleted.”

A new museum guides and educational assistant

Another function of the robot is that it can work in the reception or guided tours in museums or exhibition spaces.

“Ozzie can welcome the visitor, guide him to the exhibits he wishes to see and “talk” to him about the exhibit,” Giakoumis says.

The robotic assistant is already preparing to put these functions into practice at the Innovation Park in Larissa.

Finally, Ozzie robots can be used in education. They can assist children in schools in learning about robotics and programming.

The partners of Ozzie Robotics have visited numerous schools. According to them, the interest of the children is very high.

Ozzie Robotics aiding hospitals

Ozzie Robotics believes that Ozzie robots can be very useful in homes for the elderly, but also in care and treatment centers. In addition, they believe that their robots can be useful in hospitals.

The software firm is already participating in the tests on the Odin research project.  They are also preparing to introduce their product on a pilot basis in hospitals in Rome, Berlin and other European cities.

If the idea works out, Ozzie robots will turn Greek-made technology into a pioneer in the European healthcare sector.

Ozzie already available in the market

The team at Ozzy Robotics has worked incredibly hard to create software for a robotics system meant to assist the elderly.

Giakoumis stated that ”Since 2015 we have been creating software for robotic systems that support the elderly. Along the way, we thought of moving on to manufacturing robots as a whole, from start to finish, which is why we created the tech startup Ozzie Robotics in 2020. Today we are very proud that our robots are ready and already available in the market.”

He adds: ”We can even make adjustments according to the needs of each of our customers.”