(repost)
Japanese company Riken has partnered up with Tokai Rubber in the creation of the RIBA II nursing assistant robot. At the joint laboratory RTC, RIKEN-TRI Collaboration Center for Human-Interactive Robot Research, they have taken the RIBA Robot, from 2008, and upgraded the lifting abilities (by 41 lbs) and control interface to the point where it will be a tool for medical use.
I know a few hospital volunteers that say they have to lift elderly, sick, and disabled people in and out of beds and chairs routinely throughout the day. Depending on the condition of the patient, they say it can be an extremely difficult and cumbersome task to handle. This is where the RIBA II come in to play.
The 507 lbs (230 kg) robot can handle patients of up to 176 lbs (80 kg). Each are in covered in soft rubber, and has 7 degrees of freedom. The head has 3, waist has 2, and the omni-directional base has 3 more degrees of freedom. A touchscreen on the RIBA II bot's back will allow nurses to direct the bot to locations. Onboard laser range finders, proximity sensors, bumper sensors, and voice commands will help the RIBA II avoid obstacles and prevent accidents.
Direct control of the RIBA II is the most innovative addition to the platform. The robot is covered in "Smart Rubber" that is the world's first capacitive touch rubber surface. The sensors are on the bot's upper arms, forearms, hands, and chest. A nurse can then physically guide the bot quickly and make adjustments on the fly for hoisting the patient. Like the RIBA I, the RIBA II's Tokai Rubber also detect slippage and will adjust on its own to keep the patient comfortable.
RIBA II has the same "bear" head that was on the original RIBA. The designers claim this is to not scare the patient. The original lifting bot RI-MAN, which could only handle 41 lbs (18 kg), was a little scary. I question the use of either head. It is just a tool, right? A human forklift, in other words. Make it as non-anthropomorphized as possible, in my opinion.
(RI-MAN by RIKEN)
When available in 2015, the RIBA II will cost $77,000 USD (6,000,000 JPY). Much more expensive than the free volunteers most hospitals depend on.
video via youtube member kmoriyama
(All pictures via RIKEN)