Age-related loss of mobility and increased risk of falling remain important obstacles toward facilitating aging-in-place. Many elderly people lack the coordination and strength necessary to perform common movements around their home, such as getting out of bed or stepping into a bathtub. The traditional solution has been to install grab bars on various surfaces; however, these are often not placed in optimal locations due to feasibility constraints in room layout. In this paper, we present a mobile robot that provides an older adult with a handle anywhere in space - "handle anywhere". The robot consists of an omnidirectional mobile base attached to a repositionable handle. We analyze the postural changes in four activities of daily living and determine, in each, the body pose that requires the maximal muscle effort. Using a simple model of the human body, we develop a methodology to optimally place the handle to provide the maximum support for the elderly person at the point of most effort. Our model is validated with experimental trials. We discuss how the robotic device could be used to enhance patient mobility and reduce the incidence of falls.
翻译:与年龄有关的行动能力丧失和下降风险增加,仍然是促进老龄化的重要障碍。许多老年人缺乏必要的协调和力量,无法在家中开展共同运动,例如从床上出来或跳入浴缸。传统的解决方案是在不同表面安装抓网条;然而,由于室内布局上的可行性限制,这些栅条往往没有放在最佳位置;在本文中,我们提出了一个移动机器人,为老年人提供空间任何地方的把手——“手脚”。机器人包括附属于可重新定位的手柄的全天线移动基地。我们分析了日常生活中四种活动的姿态变化,并确定了需要最大肌肉努力的体形。我们利用人体的简单模型,开发了一种最佳方法,为处于最努力点的老年人提供最大支持。我们的模型经过实验试验得到验证。我们讨论了如何利用机器人装置加强病人的流动性和减少坠落率。