Title :
Essential feedback on first prototypes of smart mobile walker and upper extremity assistive robot
Author :
Jeongsu Lee ; Kyung Kim ; Jongbae Kim ; Won-Kyung Song
Author_Institution :
Nat. Rehabilitation Center, Nat. Rehabilitation Res. Inst., Seoul, South Korea
Abstract :
Innovative assistive rehabilitation robots are being developed with the participation of user candidates and clinical experts during the entire robot-development process. The purpose of this study is to obtain feedback from users and clinical experts during a demonstration of the first prototype of both the smart mobile walker and the upper extremity assistive robot. In the case of the smart mobile walker, safety is crucial for all users. The system´s weight is another important factor for users who are elderly or fragile. In addition, people with spinal cord injuries require ease of accessibility between a wheelchair and the smart mobile walker. For the upper extremity assistive robot with spinal cord injuries require assistance to use their fine motor skills, i.e., finger movements. Different fine motor skills are assisted depending on the disability of the user. Overall, the walker needs to have the capability of being customizable while retaining its safety. In addition, the upper extremity assistive robot requires a suitable handle, a pleasant appearance, and a grasping function. This feedback will contribute to the development of a pragmatic rehabilitation robot.
Keywords :
handicapped aids; mobile robots; elderly; essential feedback; first prototypes; fragile; robot development process; smart mobile walker; spinal cord injuries; upper extremity assistive robot; wheelchair; Extremities; Interviews; Legged locomotion; Mobile communication; Prototypes; Senior citizens; User requirement; participatory action design; smart mobile walker; upper extremity assistive robot;
Conference_Titel :
Ubiquitous Robots and Ambient Intelligence (URAI), 2012 9th International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Daejeon
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4673-3111-1
Electronic_ISBN :
978-1-4673-3110-4
DOI :
10.1109/URAI.2012.6462933