Human Support Robot (via Toyota)
The Japanese Govt. recently passed a law that requires their public healthcare to pay 90% of the cost for robot assistance technology. This means that Toyota’s Human Service Robot (HSR) stands a chance at eventually realizing the futuristic vision of assisting robots in every home. Toyota’s Partner Robot program developed the HSR to aid disabled or elderly and allow them to live independently while remaining connected to important people via telepresence.
The HSR responds to voice commands as well as commands via the tablet. With its dexterous robotic arm, it can pick up objects from high shelves, search for objects around the room, tidy your room a bit, open drapes and other general task that improve quality of life.
Human Support Robot and control system (via Toyota)
Its design is quite simple, except for the intricacy of the robotic arm. The dimensions of the robot are quite small. The cylindrical body has a diameter of just 14.5 in, its height is 2.7 ft and the arm reaches up to 4.3 ft. It weighs 70 lb and the length of the robotic arm itself is 2.5 ft. The arm, composed of five hinge joints, is capable of complex contortion for easy access to high places and facilitated gripping of objects from different orientations that weigh less than 2.6 lb and have a max width of 5.12 in. Wheels on its base give it mobility and allow it to move at a relaxed 1.8 mi/hr, rolling up a max incline of 5 degrees and overcoming bumps of 0.3 in. There is no mention of battery life, nor price.
The bot seems to have a front mounted camera though no specs were released about it. A doc and mount for a table allows caretakers and family to keep track of the individual using video chat services like Skype etc.
Toyota has been working with the Yokohama Rehabilitation Center and the Association of Japanese Service Dogs while collecting valuable feedback from disabled users that had the robot in their homes in 2011. Toyota’s HSR was featured at Tokyo Big Sight as part of the “bleeding edge” development of health care equipment. Robotic companions are much closer to becoming a reality but this project still has some years before being finalized.
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