Assistive technology design and development for acceptable robotics companions for ageing years

© 2013 Farshid Amirabdollahian et al., licensee Versita Sp. z o. o. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license, which means that the text may be used for non-commercial purposes, provided credit is given to the author.A new stream of research and development responds to changes in life expectancy across the world. It includes technologies which enhance well-being of individuals, specifically for older people. The ACCOMPANY project focuses on home companion technologies and issues surrounding technology development for assistive purposes. The project responds to some overlooked aspects of technology design, divided into multiple areas such as empathic and social human-robot interaction, robot learning and memory visualisation, and monitoring persons’ activities at home. To bring these aspects together, a dedicated task is identified to ensure technological integration of these multiple approaches on an existing robotic platform, Care-O-Bot®3 in the context of a smart-home environment utilising a multitude of sensor arrays. Formative and summative evaluation cycles are then used to assess the emerging prototype towards identifying acceptable behaviours and roles for the robot, for example role as a butler or a trainer, while also comparing user requirements to achieved progress. In a novel approach, the project considers ethical concerns and by highlighting principles such as autonomy, independence, enablement, safety and privacy, it embarks on providing a discussion medium where user views on these principles and the existing tension between some of these principles, for example tension between privacy and autonomy over safety, can be captured and considered in design cycles and throughout project developmentsPeer reviewe

Which activities threaten independent living of elderly when becoming problematic : inspiration for meaningful service robot functionality

Purpose: In light of the increasing elderly population and the growing demand for home care, the potential of robot support is given increasing attention. In this paper, an inventory of activities was made that threaten independent living of elderly when becoming problematic. Results will guide the further development of an existing service robot, the Care-O-bot®. Method: A systematic literature search of PubMed was performed, focused on the risk factors for institutionalization. Additionally, focus group sessions were conducted in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and France. In these focus group sessions, problematic activities threatening the independence of elderly people were discussed. Three separate target groups were included in the focus group sessions: (1) elderly persons (n = 41), (2) formal caregivers (n = 40) and (3) informal caregivers (n = 32). Results: Activities within the International Classification of Functioning domains mobility, self-care, and interpersonal interaction and relationships were found to be the most problematic. Conclusions: A distinct set of daily activities was identified that may threaten independent living, but no single activity could be selected as the main activity causing a loss of independence as it is often a combination of problematic activities that is person-specific. Supporting the problematic activities need not involve a robotic solution Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/17483107.2013.840861Peer reviewe

Is it possible to assess the effects of dynamic arm supports on upper extremity range of motion during activities of daily living in the domestic setting using a portable motion capturing device? - A pilot study

BACKGROUND: Understanding how dynamic arm supports affect the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) in daily life situations is essential for improved prescription. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the newly developed MMAAS is a useful tool to assess the RoM at home. Secondly, to investigate differences in RoM and ADL performance with and without dynamic arm support. METHODS: Five dynamic arm support users performed nine activities with and without dynamic arm support at home. A reference group of five participants was included. Shoulder and elbow RoM were assessed for the three most difficult tasks. RESULTS: The measurement of the elbow joint RoM appeared unreliable. In most participants shoulder RoM increased with dynamic arm support, but the magnitude of change differed. Variation was also found regarding whether people could perform ADL with and without support. CONCLUSIONS: In its current state the MMAAS is not regarded a useful tool for assessing the RoM in the domestic setting. The ability to perform ADL and RoM seem influenced by the environment, users' needs and abilities. Future studies investigating effects and benefits of dynamic arm supports should be conducted in a broader daily life context

Linking Instruments and Documenting Decisions in Service Delivery Guided by an ICF-Based Tool for Assistive Technology Selection

This paper demonstrates how information from existing instruments can be linked within a new framework and tool for AT selection, using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). A case study is presented to illustrate how this might work in practice, and describes the steps followed by practitioners using the tool and gathering assessment data through links to existing instruments. The potential added value of using the ICF in AT service delivery is discussed, and planned developments for the tool outlined