Stretching their reach: Robotic support for domestic activities for older individuals with mobility limitations

扩大影响范围：机器人为行动不便的老年人提供家庭活动支持

基本信息

批准号：
10258084
负责人：
Aaron Edsinger
金额：
$ 25.61万
依托单位：
HELLO ROBOT INC
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2021
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2021-09-15 至 2022-11-30
项目状态：
已结题

项目摘要

Abstract This Phase I SBIR proposal submitted by Hello Robot requests funds to develop a robot that will support older adults with mobility limitations. Nearly 16 million older Americans have a mobility disability and often need support for domestic activities including self-care and household activities. Personal robots have tremendous potential to augment individual capabilities, support independence, enable functional activities, and reduce falls risk. To-date, there are no commercially available robots designed specifically for needs and capabilities of older adults that are affordable, safe, and effective for use in homes. The StretchTM robot is designed to support everyday activities through use of a lightweight telescoping arm mounted on a mobile base. The robot could be teleoperated by a user through a touchscreen, web browser, joystick, or voice command. Stretch is a functioning research robot prototype. To attain full functionality to support older adults with mobility limitations, we need to identify the specific characteristics of the tasks for which older adults need support in their homes; design the tools that enable Stretch to effectively perform the activities; and design an easy-to-use interface that these older adults can use to control Stretch to carry out their desired tasks. This Phase I proposal supports the NIA SBIR research priority on Aging in Place to develop robotics that promote independence through mitigation of age-related physical health challenges. We propose to design and test a suite of activities that Stretch can perform, with ease of control by older adults, to support independence, enhance safety, and improve quality of life. The proposal has three broad aims: Aim 1: Identify support needs of older adults with mobility limitations and technical requirements for Stretch. This aim will yield detailed specifications of the activities for which older adults with mobility disabilities need support as well as the technical design needs. Aim 2: Develop Stretch tools and interaction methods for a priority set of home tasks. Based on findings from Aim 1, we will select a suite of high priority tasks for development in Aim 2 and direct user testing in Aim 3. In Aim 2, we will develop functioning prototypes and refine the control interface features to support ease of use and reliability for the human-robot interaction. We will identify use challenges to guide user instructions and training protocols. This aim will yield a suite of task capabilities for Stretch as well as implementation protocols for testing with older adults with mobility limitations. Aim 3: Test feasibility of Stretch use by older adults in a home environment. We will use a participatory design approach to assess the ability of older adults with mobility limitations to control the robot to achieve the target tasks in a simulated home environment. We will make adjustments as use challenges or robot inefficiencies are identified. This aim will provide feasibility data to inform a functional, usable, useful, supportive robot system that enables the autonomy of older individuals with mobility limitations in their homes. The Stretch robot has tremendous potential to support everyday home activities, increasing autonomy and increased quality of life.

抽象的 Hello Robot 提交的第一阶段 SBIR 提案要求提供资金来开发支持老年人的机器人行动不便的成年人。近 1600 万美国老年人有行动障碍，经常需要支持家庭活动，包括自我护理和家务活动。个人机器人具有巨大的增强个人能力、支持独立、实现功能活动和减少跌倒的潜力风险。迄今为止，还没有专门针对以下需求和能力而设计的商用机器人：适合老年人在家中使用，价格实惠、安全且有效。 StretchTM 机器人的设计目的是通过使用安装在移动底座上的轻型伸缩臂来支持日常活动。机器人用户可以通过触摸屏、网络浏览器、操纵杆或语音命令进行远程操作。拉伸是一个功能研究机器人原型。为了获得支持行动不便的老年人的全部功能，我们需要确定老年人在家中需要支持的任务的具体特征；设计使 Stretch 能够有效执行活动的工具；并设计一个易于使用的界面这些老年人可以用它来控制 Stretch 来执行他们想要的任务。本第一阶段提案支持 NIA SBIR 关于就地养老的研究重点，以开发促进独立的机器人技术通过缓解与年龄相关的身体健康挑战。我们建议设计并测试一套活动 Stretch 可以轻松地由老年人控制，以支持独立性、增强安全性和提高生活质量。该提案具有三大目标：目标 1：确定老年人的支持需求具有移动性限制和 Stretch 技术要求。这个目标将产生详细的规格行动不便的老年人需要支持的活动以及技术设计需要。目标 2：为一组优先的家庭任务开发 Stretch 工具和交互方法。基于根据目标 1 的结果，我们将选择一套高优先级任务用于目标 2 中的开发并直接进行用户测试在目标 3 中。在目标 2 中，我们将开发功能原型并完善控制界面功能以支持人机交互的易用性和可靠性。我们将确定使用挑战来指导用户说明和培训协议。这一目标将为 Stretch 带来一套任务功能对行动不便的老年人进行测试的实施协议。目标 3：测试可行性老年人在家庭环境中伸展使用。我们将使用参与式设计方法来评估行动不便的老年人在模拟环境中控制机器人完成目标任务的能力家居环境。当发现使用挑战或机器人效率低下时，我们将做出调整。这个目标将提供可行性数据，以告知功能齐全、可用、有用、支持性的机器人系统，使在家中行动不便的老年人的自主权。 Stretch 机器人具有巨大的支持日常家庭活动、增强自主性和提高生活质量的潜力。