Towards robot-assisted living through universal design of the environment

Abstract

More seniors citizens are living alone in their own house, compared to any other population group. Depending on the severity of their health condition, these people may be able to perform the physical self-maintenance activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing and feeding, but may encounter difficulties in performing the more challenging Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, IADLs , which include telephone use, food preparation, housekeeping, laundry and responsibility for own medication. The ability to perform the IADLs is very important for individuals who wish to live independently and to form part of their community. Hence, they might need to rely on outside assistance (e.g. family, friends, and/or social services) if they are to continue living independently in their own residence. As a result, researchers are looking into assistive technology that can help older adults (OAs) in day-to-day tasks. Significant research has been done on assistive technology. However, only a few robots are in actual use. This is because the robot must operate in an environment that was not intended for it. This presents a number of challenges with regard to observability, manipulability, accessibility, activity and safety, which the robot must be equipped to handle in order to be successfully deployed in the home environment. Hence, researchers are looking into the concept of universal design, where an environment is designed to satisfy the needs of all its users, including the robot. Still, the environment must still be usable by humans, safe, aesthetically pleasing, functional and offered at a reasonable price. The objective of this research was to develop a framework for the introduction of robots into the home to provide assistance in performing IADLs. The framework was evaluated through a partial prototype system, encompassing a prototype tele-operated mobile assistive robot designed to provide physical support to the older people living at home, and a partial prototype of the optimised environment. A survey was first carried out with a sample of older people who would benefit from this assistive robot and of allied healthcare professionals, so as to determine the appearance of the robot and to identify the minimum subset of movements that the robot must be able to perform. This is because both the appearance and the usefulness of the robot play a crucial role in the OA’s acceptance of robot-assisted living. The designed assistive robot, named MARIS, for Mobile Assistive Robot in an Inclusive Space was able to perform a number of different activities facilitated by the designed environment.