WO2021164700A1 - Therapeutic robot for facilitating training and therapy for the elderly - Google Patents

Therapeutic robot for facilitating training and therapy for the elderly Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2021164700A1
WO2021164700A1 PCT/CN2021/076702 CN2021076702W WO2021164700A1 WO 2021164700 A1 WO2021164700 A1 WO 2021164700A1 CN 2021076702 W CN2021076702 W CN 2021076702W WO 2021164700 A1 WO2021164700 A1 WO 2021164700A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
user
therapeutic
robot
therapeutic robot
magnetic field
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PCT/CN2021/076702
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English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Yongping Zheng
James Chung Wai Cheung
Eric WC TAM
Man Ching LAW
Alex Hing Yin MAK
Tim Tin Chun CHAN
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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
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Application filed by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University filed Critical The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Priority to CN202180012742.4A priority Critical patent/CN115052717A/zh
Publication of WO2021164700A1 publication Critical patent/WO2021164700A1/en

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J11/00—Manipulators not otherwise provided for
    • B25J11/008—Manipulators for service tasks
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J11/00—Manipulators not otherwise provided for
    • B25J11/0005—Manipulators having means for high-level communication with users, e.g. speech generator, face recognition means
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J13/00—Controls for manipulators
    • B25J13/08—Controls for manipulators by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices
    • B25J13/081—Touching devices, e.g. pressure-sensitive

Definitions

  • the present disclosure generally relates to an interactive therapeutic robot, in particular, the therapeutic robot can facilitate various training and non-pharmacological therapies for the elderly and other patients suffering from various neurologic diseases.
  • Non-drug interventions aim to procrastinate mental abilities degeneration. It helps the patient to stay more independent in daily life, and to improve their wellbeing and quality of life.
  • Memory and orientation exercises, art therapy, aromatherapy, and music therapy, and animal-assisted therapy are common non-drug interventions. This may include caregiver training for family members to support the training and therapies.
  • the non-drug intervention can be categorized into three types, including (1) cognitive therapy approaches; (2) physical, emotional, social stimulations; and (3) emotion-oriented interventions [5] .
  • Cognitive therapy is an umbrella term for every activity that works with the mental abilities of an individual, such as perception, thinking, and remembering. For instance, arithmetic problems, exercises involved a series of numbers are to be completed, or images have to be remembered and recognized. Some exercises also involve words and puzzles. People who practice daily activities like shopping is also a kind of intervention. These exercises are offered in either one-on-one or group sessions, which are lasting 30 to 90 minutes repeating 1-2 times a week. Reality orientation training is another widely used intervention, which aims to help improve people’s orientation in space and time by repeatedly giving people with Alzheimer's disease basic information such as their name, the date, or the time. Cognitive interventions can effectively improve mental performance.
  • Physical, emotional, social stimulations are interventions to promote physical and social activities. It focuses on different types of activities including physical activities to improve strength, endurance, and balance. Other practical activities, such as brushing teeth, writing letters, preparing meals together, performing art and music, and discussion groups on various topics [7] , can also be arranged as part of the training.
  • Emotion-oriented interventions focus on the feelings, values, and experiences of the patient in order to improve their quality of life.
  • Validation therapy is one example. It aims to make the patient feel understood, safe, and comfortable. Caregivers use special communication techniques to create an atmosphere of closeness and care when interacting with the patient. The caregivers do not judge the behavior of the patient and accept them and their feelings as they are.
  • Reminiscence therapy is another common example, which can be done in individual or group settings. Patients are encouraged to talk about topics such as their hometown, school days, or work. The purpose is to improve their mental abilities, mood, and mental performance and lessen the psychological effects such as depression [8] .
  • Robots including robotic seals, have been used as an alternative in substitution to therapies such as animal-assisted therapy in the promotion of health and social wellbeing of elderly people in elderly care facilities.
  • the PARO robotic seal is a socially responsive robot that has been widely used. It reacts to an individual in response to the way how it is treated. It has been shown to improve the connections with the elderly with socially, cognitively, or emotionally isolated [16] so that it improves the emotional state, reduction of challenging behaviors, and social interactions [15] .
  • the availability and high cost impede the massive implementation.
  • Doll therapy is another alternative with great acceptance. It aims at reducing behavioral and psychological disorders in institutionalized patients with dementia. It is commonly used as a care tool integrated into the context of long-term care institutions, which need to find solutions to the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional problems of their residents. It has been reported that doll therapy is effective in promoting and maintaining the affective-relational dimension of attachment-caregiving and the attentive dimension of exploration in patients with late-stage of dementia. It also showed significant improvements in the ability to relate to the surrounding world [17] .
  • an interactive therapeutic robot that can facilitate various training and therapies for the elderly. It is an objective of the present disclosure to provide a therapeutic robot that can achieve group or individual training and/or therapy for the elderly, particularly for elderly with dementia, aphagia, and other mental disabilities.
  • a therapeutic robot for facilitating training and non-pharmacological therapies for a user, providing a personalized training to the elderly, and providing thematic interactions with the user.
  • the therapeutic robot comprises a torso, two or more limb sections pivotable relative to the torso, and a microcontroller unit.
  • Each individual limb section comprises one or more accelerometers or gyroscopes configured to detect movements of the individual limb sections with respect to the torso.
  • the microcontroller unit is configured to provide an instruction to the user, receive signals from the one or more accelerometers or gyroscopes, and trigger execution of a real-time feedback as a motivation program for facilitating the user to follow the instruction and move the two or more limb sections.
  • the real-time feedback comprises providing to the user at least an audio cue, a lighting effect, a vibrational effect, or any combination thereof.
  • the microcontroller unit is configured to be communicable with the accelerometers or gyroscopes, to determine a valid interaction based on a rule-based analysis process, and to trigger the real-time feedback to the user for encouraging the user to continue moving the two or more limb sections, or interacting with the therapeutic robot.
  • the rule-based analysis process determines, in real-time, whether an event identified from the signals is associated with a predefined task by meeting one or more criteria of the predefined task.
  • the therapeutic robot comprises a network module communicable with a computer device configured to create, design, and manage the predefined task, and receive the signals for generating an assessment report evaluating a cognitive domain of the user based on the received signals.
  • the therapeutic robot includes a speech ability tracking system having a speaker module and an audio recorder.
  • the speaker module is configured to audibly broadcast a pre-recorded audio cueing the user to respond during the thematic interactions, wherein the pre-recorded audio comprises voices of a familiar person to the user.
  • the audio recorder is configured to record audio information of the user in response to the pre-recorded audio, wherein the audio information is uploaded to a computer device for identifying unique words or sounds produced by the user, and determining whether the user suffers from a condition associated with aphasia, language impairment, dysarthria, or other neurologic diseases.
  • the therapeutic robot comprises a head section, a plurality of pressure sensors configured to detect interactions of the user with the head section and the two or more limb sections, and the microcontroller unit configured to provide an instruction to the user, receive signals from the plurality of pressure sensors, and trigger execution of a real-time feedback as a motivation program for facilitating the user to follow the instruction and interact with the therapeutic robot.
  • the plurality of pressure sensors comprises one or more head pressure sensors configured to detect pressing of the head section, and one or more limb pressure sensors on each individual limb section configured to detect pressing of the individual limb section.
  • the plurality of pressure sensors comprises a back pressure sensor on a back side of the torso configured to detect burping of the therapeutic robot.
  • the therapeutic robot comprises a plurality of magnetic field sensors configured to detect an external magnetic field from an external accessory, and the microcontroller unit configured to provide an instruction to the user, receive signals from the plurality of magnetic field sensors, and trigger execution of a real-time feedback as a motivation program for facilitating the user to follow the instruction and move the external accessory relative to the therapeutic robot.
  • the plurality of magnetic field sensors comprises one or more limb hall sensors on each individual limb section configured to detect the external magnetic field proximate to the individual limb section, and one or more torso hall sensors configured to detect the external magnetic field proximate to the torso.
  • the external accessory is a clothing removably attachable to the therapeutic robot, wherein the clothing comprises one or more magnets for actuating the plurality of magnetic field sensors for determining whether the clothing is properly dressed on the therapeutic robot.
  • the clothing comprises conductive fabrics for actuating the plurality of magnetic field sensors for detecting a precise position on the clothing being touched by the user.
  • the plurality of magnetic field sensors comprises one or more head hall sensors configured to detect the external magnetic field proximate to the head section.
  • the external accessory is a toy spoon for allowing the user to pretend to feed the therapeutic robot, wherein the toy spoon comprises one or more magnets for actuating the one or more head hall sensors when the user pretends to feed the therapeutic robot.
  • a system for facilitating group-oriented training and therapies for a group of users, and providing thematic interactions with the group of users comprises a plurality of therapeutic robots each for interacting with an individual user.
  • the plurality of therapeutic robots is linked together wirelessly for performing the group-oriented training by sharing individual information and coordinating synchronized tasks.
  • the system further comprises a computer device for creating, designing, and managing the synchronized tasks, and receiving the signals from the plurality of therapeutic robots for generating assessment reports evaluating a cognitive domain for the group of users.
  • the system further comprises a control unit wirelessly connected to the plurality of therapeutic robots for remotely controlling the plurality of therapeutic robots to perform the synchronized tasks.
  • a control unit wirelessly connected to the plurality of therapeutic robots for remotely controlling the plurality of therapeutic robots to perform the synchronized tasks.
  • the plurality of therapeutic robots is connected to the computer device and the control unit through WiFi, Bluetooth, infrared communication, cellular, near field communication, or other wireless communication methods.
  • FIG. 1 is an illustrative diagram of a therapeutic robot in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure
  • FIG. 2 is an illustrative diagram of the back side of the therapeutic robot of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the arm section of the therapeutic robot of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the torso of the therapeutic robot of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the head section of the therapeutic robot of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 6 is an exemplary therapeutic robot in a male configuration in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 7 is an exemplary therapeutic robot in a female configuration in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 8 is an illustrative example of clothing that can be used by the therapeutic robot in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure
  • FIG. 9 shows a system block diagram illustrating the internal structure of the therapeutic robot in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 10 is a system diagram illustrating the network connection with a number of therapeutic robots
  • FIG. 11 shows a diagram illustrating the grouping of the therapeutic robot in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure
  • FIG. 12 shows the user interface for task creation
  • FIG. 13 shows the user interface for listing out the actions in a task and the criteria for a valid interaction.
  • the term “elderly” broadly encompasses individuals who are more than 50 years old, or preferably more than 60 years old, or most preferably more than 65 years old.
  • the present disclosure is designed for users who are mainly elderly and other patients suffering from various neurologic diseases, including but not limited to multi-infarct dementia, head injury, spinal cord injury, aphasia, language impairment, dysarthria, Alzheimer's disease (AD) , and Parkinson's disease.
  • caregiver is used to encompass any person who is assisting the elderly, whether holding any particular license or not.
  • the term “caregiver” shall also include speech therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, audiologists, nurses, doctors, geriatric care specialists, and the relatives or family members of the elderly.
  • the present disclosure generally relates to an interactive therapeutic robot that can facilitate various training and therapies for the elderly. More specifically, but without limitation, the present disclosure relates to a therapeutic robot that can achieve group or individual training and/or non-pharmacological therapies for the elderly, particularly for elderly with dementia, aphagia, and other mental disabilities.
  • Robots and robotic dolls for the elderly have increasingly accepted as the senior population is more embraced new technologies, particularly in the caring sector. Therefore, the use of specifically designed therapeutic dolls in training and non-pharmacological therapies is gaining popularity. In the long run, the use of therapeutic dolls can help to reduce the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in patients with dementia and improve their quality of life. In addition, the positive effects in their behavior may also contribute to the psychological wellbeing of the caregivers, and reduce their workload and stress.
  • BPSD behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia
  • the positive effects in their behavior may also contribute to the psychological wellbeing of the caregivers, and reduce their workload and stress.
  • a therapeutic robot 100 for facilitating training and non-pharmacological therapies for a user, preferably an elderly or a patient suffering from various neurologic diseases, is provided.
  • the therapeutic robot 100 is developed to mimic a two years old kid who consistently requires attention from an adult.
  • the concept of using the therapeutic robot 100 in training and therapies is to help the elderly to recall their memory and instincts of caring kids.
  • the therapeutic robot 100 provides a personalized training and supports mainstream therapies, including but not limited to attachment, sensory stimulation, and reminiscence therapy. Therefore, the present invention can advantageously achieve thematic interactions with the user and proactively encourage the user to interact with the therapeutic robot 100 in various activities.
  • the therapeutic robot 100 is formed by a torso 110, a head section 120, and two or more limb sections preferably including two arm sections 130 and two leg sections 140. It is apparent that the therapeutic robot 100 may mimic other pets, animals, or other imaginary characters. Therefore, the therapeutic robot 100 may be formed by more or fewer limb sections, and may include other parts such as tail or wings without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.
  • the torso 110 is substantially the same size as a human torso of a kid of two years old, and is provided with a cavity inside the torso 110 for housing electronic devices, audio system, batteries 320, and other components.
  • the torso 110 comprises one or more body accelerometers or gyroscopes (not shown) configured to determine at least one physical feature selected from the group consisting of orientation, movement, and acceleration of the therapeutic robot 110, thereby the precise movement of the therapeutic robot 110 by the user can be analyzed.
  • the body accelerometers or gyroscopes can determines the balance of the two arm sections 130.
  • the two limb sections are pivotable by the user relative to the torso 110.
  • each arm section 130 is pivotable via an arm joint 131 to move between at least a first position equivalent to stretching out and a second position of folding up of the arm section 130.
  • the two leg sections 140 are also pivotable relative to the torso 110.
  • each leg section 140 is pivotable to move between at least a first sitting position and a second standing position. The activity can be used to train the major muscles of the user.
  • Each individual limb section as illustrated comprises one or more accelerometers 220, gyroscopes, actuators, angle sensors, or the like, which are configured to detect the movements of the individual limb sections with respect to the torso 110, wherein the movement of the limb sections is selected from the group consisting of orientation, movement, and acceleration.
  • the one or more accelerometers 220 are removably embedded in the respective limb section, as illustrated in FIG. 3.
  • the first accelerometer 221 is provided at the upper arm of the arm section 130, while the second accelerometer 222 is provided at the forearm of the arm section 130.
  • Similar accelerometers or gyroscopes may also be provided in the two leg sections 140 for detecting the respective movements by the user.
  • the therapeutic robot 100 has a plurality of pressure sensors 210 configured to detect interactions of the user.
  • the plurality of pressure sensors 210 may include one or more head pressure sensors 213 configured to detect the pressing of the head section 120, and one or more limb pressure sensors on each individual limb section configured to detect the pressing of the individual limb section.
  • the interactions of the user with the head section 120 and the two or more limb sections can be detected.
  • the plurality of pressure sensors 210 may further include a back pressure sensor 214 positioned on the back side of the torso 110 configured to detect burping of the therapeutic robot 100. As the therapeutic robot 100 mimics a baby, the user may burp the therapeutic robot 100 as part of the training or assessment in determining the mental condition of the user.
  • the magnetic field sensors 230 may be in various forms, including Hall Effect sensors, magnetoresistive sensors, or other suitable devices.
  • the magnetic field sensors 230 may include a metal plate on top of the sensing device enabling an external magnet to attract thereto.
  • the plurality of magnetic field sensors 230 comprises one or more limb hall sensors 232 on each individual limb section configured to detect the external magnetic field proximate to the individual limb section, one or more head hall sensors 233 configured to detect the external magnetic field proximate to the head section 120, and one or more torso hall sensors 231 configured to detect the external magnetic field proximate to the torso 110.
  • the plurality of magnetic field sensors 230 is configured to detect an accessory, such as clothing or toy spoon, thereby the user can imitate the action of putting on clothing and pretending to feed the therapeutic robot 100.
  • the two arm sections 130 may also include a pivotable elbow 132 for the easier dressing of clothing, which is shown in FIG. 3.
  • a speaker module 240 is provided on the torso 110.
  • the speaker module 240 has a raised cover 243 for protecting the internal electronic devices without blocking the sound wave and a plurality of openings 244 for broadcasting the sound or voice.
  • the speaker module 240 is configured to audibly broadcast a pre-recorded audio cueing the user to respond during the thematic interactions and training.
  • the pre-recorded audio may ideally include voices of a familiar person to the user or caregiver.
  • the speaker module 240 broadcasts instructions to the user and motivates the user to interact with the therapeutic robot 100.
  • the head section 120 comprises a head joint 122 for pivotally connected to the torso 110, thereby the head section 120 is allowed to rotate by a small degree of up and down for performing a nodding.
  • the head section 120 also includes one or more head pressure sensors 213, and more preferably, light-emitting elements are installed around the head pressure sensors 213 to provide lighting effect as real-time feedback to the user, which can promote interaction proactively and responsively.
  • FIG. 6 shows an exemplary therapeutic robot 100 in a male configuration
  • FIG. 7 shows an exemplary therapeutic robot 100 in a female configuration
  • the therapeutic robot 100 is covered by clothes and accessories to mimic a person, a pet, an animal, or other imaginary characters.
  • the external accessories, particularly the clothing, are removably attachable to the therapeutic robot 100 easily so that the dirt thereon can be cleaned.
  • conventional robotic dolls for users generally have difficulties in cleaning up.
  • the doll clothing has a double surface design for facilitating the dressing onto the robotic doll and being washable.
  • FIG. 8 conceptually shows the clothing 400 for the therapeutic robot 100.
  • the clothing 400 comprises one or more magnets 410 for actuating the plurality of magnetic field sensors 230 for determining whether the clothing 400 is properly dressed on the therapeutic robot 100.
  • the one or more magnets 410 allow easy dressing onto the therapeutic robot 100 by the user, and allow detection of correct dressing in training related to fine motor skills. Furthermore, the clothing 400 can further comprise conductive fabrics 420 for actuating the plurality of magnetic field sensors 230 for detecting a precise position on the clothing being touched by the user.
  • the external accessories may also include a toy spoon for allowing the user to pretend to feed the therapeutic robot 100.
  • the toy spoon comprises one or more magnets for actuating the one or more head hall sensors 233 when the user pretends to feed the therapeutic robot. This arrangement allows the caregiver to use the therapeutic robot 100 to perform specific training related to role-playing.
  • a microcontroller unit 310 is configured to provide an instruction to the user by broadcasting a pre-recorded audio from the speaker module 240 cueing the user to respond during thematic interactions.
  • thematic interactions may include, but be not limited to, burping the back of the therapeutic robot 100, massaging the face, cleaning the face, hugging, counting finger by touching, soothing a crying baby, combing the hair, feeding a baby with a toy spoon, or lifting the limbs for imitating exercising with the therapeutic robot 100.
  • the pre-recorded audio is decoded by an audio codec 242, amplified by an audio amplifier 241.
  • the plurality of sensors including the pressure sensors 210, the one or more accelerometers 220 or gyroscopes, the magnetic field sensors 230, sense the motion of the user and transmit signals to the microcontroller unit 310, which upon receiving the signals, triggers the execution of a real-time feedback as a motivation program.
  • the real-time feedback comprises providing to the user at least an audio cue, a lighting effect, a vibrational effect, or any combination thereof.
  • the motivation program can facilitate the user to follow the instruction and interact with the therapeutic robot 100.
  • the therapeutic robot 100 is operated with a battery 320, which may be a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery.
  • An external memory 340 such as a micro-SD card, is mounted to the therapeutic robot 100 for storing pre-recorded audio, assessment information, or report of the user.
  • the therapeutic robot 100 further includes a speech ability tracking system having a speaker module 240 and an audio recorder 330.
  • the audio recorder 330 may comprise an amplifier 331.
  • the speaker module 240 is configured to audibly broadcast a pre-recorded audio cueing the user to respond during the thematic interactions.
  • the pre-recorded audio comprises voices of a familiar person to the user, such as the family member of the user or a caregiver.
  • the audio recorder 330 is configured to record audio information of the user in response to the pre-recorded audio.
  • the audio information is uploaded to a computer device for identifying unique words or sounds produced by the user, and determining whether the user suffers from a condition associated with aphasia, language impairment, dysarthria, or other neurologic diseases. Many elderlies with mental disorders will develop aphasia in the late stage.
  • the audio recorder 330 inside the torso, is designed to record the vocal response during interaction for providing information to the therapist to assess their medical condition.
  • the content of speech and the number of words spoken or murmur sounds produced can be analyzed by the speech recognition software.
  • the variety of vowels used by the elderly can also be determined automatically by the speech recognition software for the speech therapist to assess the language ability of the patient.
  • the therapeutic robot 100 can advantageously continuously collect information on the user’s speech abilities when the user is interacting with the therapeutic robot 100 without overly consuming too much consultation time of the therapist.
  • the audio recorder 330 is also used to capture the voice of the user during stand-by and transmit the voice signals to the microcontroller unit 310 for identifying the wake-up words.
  • the wake-up words help to support the needs of the elderly. For instance, it can serve as a smart home agent to detect the identity of the user, to provide alerts or reminders on scheduled items such as drug administration and appointments. It can also help to soothe the elderly emotion to respond timely when calling for attention.
  • the therapeutic robot 100 further comprises a network module 350 communicable with a computer device 550, preferably via a WiFi access point 530 or other network gateways.
  • the network connection is illustrated in FIG. 10.
  • the computer device 550 may be a personal computer, a cloud server, a mobile phone, a tablet, or other smart devices configured to communicate with the therapeutic robot 100 through WiFi, Bluetooth, infrared communication, cellular, near field communication, or other wireless communication methods.
  • the network module 350 may provide in-door position information such that the therapeutic robot 100 can be found.
  • the caregiver can use the computer device 550 to create, design, and manage different tasks for the user under a task management function in the user interface. The level of difficulties can also be adjusted according to the ability of each individual user.
  • the computer device 550 upon receiving the signals, generates an assessment report evaluating a cognitive domain of the user based on the received signals.
  • the therapeutic robot 100 can be used individually or in a group. Group-oriented training and therapies using multiple therapeutic robots 100 can also be designed and performed to achieve specific group training. A group of users can participate in a thematic interaction together with synergy effects.
  • the plurality of therapeutic robots 100 is arranged to each interact with an individual user in the group, as demonstrated in FIG. 10, and at the same time linked together wirelessly to form a training system for performing the group-oriented training by sharing individual information and coordinating synchronized tasks.
  • the system comprises a control unit 500 wirelessly connected to the plurality of therapeutic robots 100 for remotely controlling the plurality of therapeutic robots 100 to perform the synchronized task.
  • FIG. 11 shows an example of the grouping of the therapeutic robot 100.
  • two therapeutic robots 100 are linked together to form group A 601 for performing task 1.
  • Three therapeutic robots 100 (device 2, device 6, and device 7) are linked together to form group B 602 for performing task 4.
  • Another two therapeutic robots 100 (device 4 and device 9) are linked together to form group C 603 for performing task 5.
  • Other unused therapeutic robots 100 are arranged in separated groups in idle mode 604.
  • the control unit 500 can advantageously connect all therapeutic robots 100 in a training center, and the caregiver can use a computer device 550 to conveniently connect a particular number of therapeutic robots 100 together to form groups without the need of pairing up the therapeutic robots 100 individually. This is particularly important as the therapeutic robots 100 are not provided with a complicated user interface.
  • the caregiver may only control the therapeutic robot 100 by pressing the hand pressure sensors 212 for selecting the thematic interaction, but not other complex operations such as pairing and synchronizing the therapeutic robots 100.
  • the microcontroller unit 310 is further configured to be communicable with the plurality of sensors to determine a valid interaction based on a rule-based analysis process.
  • the microcontroller unit 310 will trigger the real-time feedback to the user for encouraging the user to continue interacting with the therapeutic robot 100, such as to continue moving the limb sections, to continue burping the back, or to continue putting on clothing for the therapeutic robot 100.
  • the rule-based analysis process determines, in real-time, whether an event identified from the signals is associated with a predefined task by meeting one or more criteria of the predefined task.
  • a task can be created by defining the required target value, which sets the rules for determining whether an event is valid.
  • the task can be predefined by the caregiver for catering to different themes and the skill ability of each individual user.
  • FIG. 13 shows an example of the actions in a task and the criteria for a valid interaction, which collectively form a series of actions defining a thematic interaction.
  • the task success rate and any deviations are stored in a database for assessment.
  • the therapeutic robot 100 can also be linked with different Internet-of-things (IoT) devices and integrated with different Application Programming Interface (API) from various home IoT devices, which can enhance the home support features.
  • IoT Internet-of-things
  • API Application Programming Interface

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Robotics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Audiology, Speech & Language Pathology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
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PCT/CN2021/076702 2020-02-17 2021-02-18 Therapeutic robot for facilitating training and therapy for the elderly WO2021164700A1 (en)

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CN110292513A (zh) * 2019-06-03 2019-10-01 东莞佰和生物科技有限公司 服务于老年痴呆患者康复训练的智能机器人系统
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