E-BAR: Care robot developed at MIT assists with walking and standing up
Older people want to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. A care robot like the E-BAR developed at MIT should make this possible.
Care robot E-BAR in action
(Image: Harry Asada et al./MIT)
Society is getting older. This means that the need for care is increasing, but there are not enough people working in this field. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), robots are set to provide a remedy.
Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot (E-BAR) is the name of the system developed by an MIT team led by Harry Asada and Roberto Bolli. The team explains that it is designed to support older people who are no longer steady on their feet: the robot is intended to provide a person with physical support, prevent them from falling and move safely and unobtrusively with them.
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The robot stands on a platform weighing around 100 kilograms. It runs on omnidirectional wheels that allow E-BAR to move in any direction without turning. On top of this is a frame made of interconnected rods that can lift a person so that they can get up from a sitting position or vice versa.
Two bars protrude horizontally at the front. You can lean on them with your forearms so that E-BAR supports you when walking. An airbag is attached underneath each bar. These inflate in a fraction of a second and catch the person if they are in danger of falling.
E-BAR works without straps
E-BAR is open at the front. "You can simply get out at any time", says Bolli, who designed the robot. They have deliberately dispensed with seat belts. "Older people are generally reluctant to wear belts or aids," he says.
"Many older people underestimate the risk of falling and refuse to use aids that are cumbersome, while others overestimate the risk and don't move, which reduces their mobility", says Asada. "Our concept is to provide elderly people with balance disorders with a robotic guide to stabilize their body. This can be taken anywhere and provides support whenever it is needed."
The robot proved its worth in a test in the laboratory: E-BAR provided support and balance when bending down to pick something up from the floor, as well as when stretching to take something from a shelf. It was also able to lift a person up and over the edge of a bathtub.
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Caring for the elderly will be a big problem – and a big market in the future: people are getting older and older and want to live at home for longer and longer, says Bolli. At the same time, there is a shortage of nursing staff. "We see this as unexplored territory in America, but also an interesting task for robotics."
(wpl)
