Assistive Robots in Health Care Settings
By Nejat, Goldie; Sun, Yiyuan; Nies, Mary; Home Health Care Management & Practice, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 177-187Publication Date: April 2009
Article discusses the use of interactive and non-interactive assistive robots in a variety of health-care settings. The overview is divided into two segments: non-interactive robots for in-home and clinical use, and interactive robots. Personal robotic aids are discussed, such as the Smart Wheelchair, equipped with collision sensors and programmable to follow a path and confirm demands; and the SmartWalker which comprises a camera, central computer, sensors monitoring the user’s vital signs, and a shared controller mediating between the computer and user. Therapeutic robots used in clinical settings mentioned include those used in robot-aided sensorimotor training for patients with stroke such as the MIT-MANUS and the Mirror Image Motion Enabler (MIME); and automatic drug dispensing devices such as the HelpMate, which can navigate autonomously to deliver medication, equipment, and supplies in a hospital setting. Interactive robots are divided into two types: animal/creature-like and human-like. The former are either pet-like robots exemplified by the cat-like Tama which is programmed to display basic animal emotions; or personal assistant robots such as the Care-O-bot which can perform household tasks and aid communication for the elderly or disabled. Human-like robots discussed include Brian, a socially-assistive robot that can mimic human body language allowing it to express emotions such as happiness and surprise; Clara, designed to provide motivation and support for cardiac patients during exercise; and Kaspar, a child-sized humanized robot used to encourage social interaction skills in children with autism. Cost, training issues, system requirements, and lack of outcomes data are cited as major barriers to the wide use of robotic devices.
Assistive Products Discussed: KASPAR HUMANOID ROBOT
Published by: Sage Publications (Website:http://www.sagepub.com)
Link to text: http://hhc.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/177
