Development of Assistive Mobile Robots Helping the Disabled Work in a Factory Environment

This paper introduces assistive mobile robots that help the disabled to work in a factory environment. The target users and the functions of the robot were determined based on varied survey results. The robots were developed through an iterative process of designing, development and evaluation. As a result, three assistive mobile robots were developed. The first version of the robot focused on the various functions. The robot is equipped with a robot arm and a forklift to support various tasks for the disabled. The second version was focused on the mobility. A mecanum wheel-based omni-directional drive mechanism was used to improve the mobility in small spaces. A foldable forklift was adopted to reduce the size of the robot. The omni-directional drive mechanism was also utilized on the final third version. An improved robot body frame was proposed to reduce the vibration caused by the mecanum wheel rollers. A multiple pillar-based foldable forklift was adopted to improve user convenience while using the lift. The developed mobile robots are expected to provide assistance to disabled workers in a factory environment.