Hortibot: Feasibility study of a plant nursing robot performing weeding operations – part IV

Based on the development of a robotic tool carrier (Hortibot) equipped with weeding tools, a feasibility study was carried out to evaluate the viability of this innovative technology. The feasibility was demonstrated through a targeted evaluation adapted to the obtainable knowledge on the system performance in horticulture. A usage scenario was designed to set the implementation of the robotic system in a row crop of seeded bulb onions considering operational and functional constraints in organic crop, production. This usage scenario together with the technical specifications of the implemented system provided the basis for the feasibility analysis, including a comparison with a conventional weeding system. Preliminary results show that the automation of the weeding tasks within a row crop has the potential of significantly reducing the costs and still fulfill the operational requirements set forth. The potential benefits in terms of operational capabilities and economic viability have been quantified. Profitability gains ranging from 20 to 50% are achievable through targeted applications. In general, the analyses demonstrate the operational and economic feasibility of using small automated vehicles and targeted tools in specialized production settings

Overcoming barriers and increasing independence: service robots for elderly and disabled people

This paper discusses the potential for service robots to overcome barriers and increase independence of elderly and disabled people. It includes a brief overview of the existing uses of service robots by disabled and elderly people and advances in technology which will make new uses possible and provides suggestions for some of these new applications. The paper also considers the design and other conditions to be met for user acceptance. It also discusses the complementarity of assistive service robots and personal assistance and considers the types of applications and users for which service robots are and are not suitable

Multidimensional Capacitive Sensing for Robot-Assisted Dressing and Bathing

Robotic assistance presents an opportunity to benefit the lives of many people with physical disabilities, yet accurately sensing the human body and tracking human motion remain difficult for robots. We present a multidimensional capacitive sensing technique that estimates the local pose of a human limb in real time. A key benefit of this sensing method is that it can sense the limb through opaque materials, including fabrics and wet cloth. Our method uses a multielectrode capacitive sensor mounted to a robot's end effector. A neural network model estimates the position of the closest point on a person's limb and the orientation of the limb's central axis relative to the sensor's frame of reference. These pose estimates enable the robot to move its end effector with respect to the limb using feedback control. We demonstrate that a PR2 robot can use this approach with a custom six electrode capacitive sensor to assist with two activities of daily living-dressing and bathing. The robot pulled the sleeve of a hospital gown onto able-bodied participants' right arms, while tracking human motion. When assisting with bathing, the robot moved a soft wet washcloth to follow the contours of able-bodied participants' limbs, cleaning their surfaces. Overall, we found that multidimensional capacitive sensing presents a promising approach for robots to sense and track the human body during assistive tasks that require physical human-robot interaction.Comment: 8 pages, 16 figures, International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics 201

A complementing approach for identifying ethical issues in care robotics – grounding ethics in practical use

We use a long-term study of a robotic eating-aid for disabled users to illustrate how empirical use give rise to a set of ethical issues that might be overlooked in ethic discussions based on theoretical extrapolation of the current state-of-the-art in robotics. This approach provides an important complement to the existing robot ethics by revealing new issues as well as providing actionable guidance for current and future robot design. We discuss our material in relation to the literature on robot ethics, specifically the risk of robots performing care taking tasks and thus causing increased isolation for care recipients. Our data identifies a different set of ethical issues such as independence, privacy, and identity where robotics, if carefully designed and developed, can make positive contributions

Healthcare Robotics

Robots have the potential to be a game changer in healthcare: improving health and well-being, filling care gaps, supporting care givers, and aiding health care workers. However, before robots are able to be widely deployed, it is crucial that both the research and industrial communities work together to establish a strong evidence-base for healthcare robotics, and surmount likely adoption barriers. This article presents a broad contextualization of robots in healthcare by identifying key stakeholders, care settings, and tasks; reviewing recent advances in healthcare robotics; and outlining major challenges and opportunities to their adoption.Comment: 8 pages, Communications of the ACM, 201

Multi - mechanism coalescence design and matrix expression of logic action sequences of the over-turn nursing robot Part I: Functions and coalescence design

In order to effectively solve the problem in over-turn of a bedridden person with the assistance of external force, a double bed face- three embedded leave over-turn nursing robot with the flexible compensation was put forward, with the abstraction of the bedridden person as an organism. This robot, on the basis of concept gesture of the person in bed and the state of the robot supporting and proving the gesture with the actions and combination of the two bed faces, held the complete function of over-turn nursing with 7 states corresponding to 5 gestures of the bedridden person obeying the fundamental requirements of safety, rapidity, and comport. The design method of "PS-MM-KD" was proposed for multi-mechanism coalescent system with related specific tasks induced from the original problems with Systems Engineering. Mechanics and Mechanisms, then applied in the concrete sub-system design followed by analysis and verification of both the scheme and the sub-systems in the design, using the Kinematics and Dynamics, implementing the gears, chain wheel, slewing mechanism, screw nut and mortise and tenon joint type clutch mechanism design successfully. Based on those above, a "two-bed face/three-leaf embedded flexible compensation nursing robot" was designed adopting to all ages, people of various kinds of body geometry. PLC, sensor and logic algorithm were used to carry out the control and operation of 7 state-5 posture sequences for realization of the automation and intelligent over-turning in safety, comfort, and convenience

The use of life-like robotic animals in the acute care setting to assist in the care of patients with dementia

The purpose of this pilot project was to describe the effect of life-like robotic animals on the nurses’ ability to provide care, patients’ level of agitation, use of antipsychotic medications, restraint and sitter use for patients with dementia in an acute care setting. Nurses report challenges and feelings of helplessness while caring for patients with dementia. Dementia may cause depression, agitation, aggression (physical or verbal) and a decrease quality of life. Animal Assisted Therapy (ATT) is a growing therapy in many healthcare settings but there is a lack of literature specifically related to the use of AAT in the acute care setting to decrease agitation. This was an evidence-based pilot project using retrospective chart review and observational data collection using the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale (n = 4). In addition, a web-based survey platform was utilized for the post-intervention nurse survey (n = 21). The results of the nurse survey supports the use of life-like robotic animals to decrease the difficulty of completing particular tasks for the nurses. Using the sign test, there was a statistical difference (p Keywords: dementia, Alzheimer’s, Animal Assisted Therapy, robotic animals and acute care, Pittsburgh Agitation Scale