Development of a Humanoid Nursing Care Robot and Realization of Quantitative Pouring Operation

Abstract

In this study, we have developed a humanoid nursing care robot with the goal of helping older people realizing achieve various tasks such as assisted mobility, feeding, drinking, defecation, and bathing. This type of robot has the following features: (1) by using an omnidirectional mobility mechanism that does not require space equivalent to the turning radius, there is no risk of the robot itself falling over, and it can be used safely even in the small spaces of the home; (2) by giving the robot two arms with the same structure as a human arm, it is possible to perform a wide variety of nursing care movements; (3) in addition to avoiding bumping into furniture and walls, and to emulate human mobility intelligence, the robot has a high level of intelligence, which is required to understand the needs of the person receiving care and to determine appropriate action. This article presents the concept for the development of a humanoid nursing care robot and the design and basic configuration of the prototype. On the other hand, the care provided by robot is expected not only to eliminate labor shortages, but also improve the quality of care by taking into account the unique characteristics of each person requiring care. Quantitative management of nutritional intake is recognized as a way to improve the quality of care. This article proposes a method to use force sensors to enable a robot to pour water (beverages) quantitatively, and proves its effectiveness through experiments on a humanoid nursing care robot.