In a country like Japan where the masses are growing old in an exponential manner to the output of new and ingenious technology, it is no wonder that there are tons of clever gadgets modelled for the care of elderly people. Here we are giving you an outlook into what is brand new in the world of technology for our seniors! The Trends are ranging between robots that do your housework or assist wheelchaired people and smaller gadgets like the wristband monitor.
The nation's top telecom carrier, NTT Corp., is developing a simple wristwatchlike device to monitor the well-being of the elderly. The wearable sensor, shown this week, is part of a growing effort to improve care of the old in a nation whose population is aging faster than anywhere else.
The device, worn like a watch, has a built-in camera, microphone and accelerometer, which measure the pace and direction of hand moves, to discern whether wearers are brushing their teeth, vacuuming or making coffee.
In a demonstration at NTT's research facility, what user's activities were collected as data that popped up as lines on a graph — with each kind of movement showing up as different patterns of lines. Using this technology, what an elderly person is doing during each hour of the day can be shown on a chart. The prototype was connected to a personal computer for the demonstration, but researchers said such data could also be relayed by wireless or stored in a memory card to be looked at later.
The device, worn like a watch, has a built-in camera, microphone and accelerometer, which measure the pace and direction of hand moves, to discern whether wearers are brushing their teeth, vacuuming or making coffee.
In a demonstration at NTT's research facility, what user's activities were collected as data that popped up as lines on a graph — with each kind of movement showing up as different patterns of lines. Using this technology, what an elderly person is doing during each hour of the day can be shown on a chart. The prototype was connected to a personal computer for the demonstration, but researchers said such data could also be relayed by wireless or stored in a memory card to be looked at later.
Already att the Next-Generation Robot Manufacturing Exhibition last fall, Japan Logic Machine presented a home care robot called Yurina. "This robot is actually used in an Osaka hospital. It can lift people from beds and carry them to other places. It can also help people take baths and change diapers. So this robot can be used for quite a lot of care tasks that require physical strength."
Fully conscious people can operate this robot themselves, without any help from a caregiver. The robot can also be used as an electric wheelchair. The lifting hand has a conveyor belt, and it can retract and extend automatically, so moving people is easy.
The hand can also be tilted freely, so people can get on and off easily as well. In addition, special rollers have been used to enable the robot to turn smoothly in narrow spaces. This robot can run on floor mats without damaging them. The robot can be operated by touch-screen or via voice-recognition.
Fully conscious people can operate this robot themselves, without any help from a caregiver. The robot can also be used as an electric wheelchair. The lifting hand has a conveyor belt, and it can retract and extend automatically, so moving people is easy.
The hand can also be tilted freely, so people can get on and off easily as well. In addition, special rollers have been used to enable the robot to turn smoothly in narrow spaces. This robot can run on floor mats without damaging them. The robot can be operated by touch-screen or via voice-recognition.
Japan’s National Institute of Advances Industrial Science and Technology came up with RAPUDA, a wheelchair-arm robot that goes back to the basics of joystick-controlled assistance. As the title suggests, it’s rather straightforward – a robotic arm that can extend out from a wheelchair and reach or grab different objects.
It is specifically designed for people with upper-limb disabilities, so one at least has to be able to move a regular wheelchair joystick to operate the arm. The arm moves by a telescoping method, where small interlocked segments are reeled-in to achieve motion. RAPUDA can accomplishing many everyday tasks, such as reaching for a glass of water from a table and bringing it to the user’s mouth. The arm can also reach down, pick up things and put them back in their right place.
Opening doors, carrying clothes and other tasks can also be made possible again for disabled patients. It’s true that the arm operates at a very slow pace, but in return it looks very stable and secure. All this allows patients to live much more independent lives, which, as documented, helps them on psychological levels as well. Let’s hope that the affordability of RAPUDA will be just as “simple” as well.
It is specifically designed for people with upper-limb disabilities, so one at least has to be able to move a regular wheelchair joystick to operate the arm. The arm moves by a telescoping method, where small interlocked segments are reeled-in to achieve motion. RAPUDA can accomplishing many everyday tasks, such as reaching for a glass of water from a table and bringing it to the user’s mouth. The arm can also reach down, pick up things and put them back in their right place.
Opening doors, carrying clothes and other tasks can also be made possible again for disabled patients. It’s true that the arm operates at a very slow pace, but in return it looks very stable and secure. All this allows patients to live much more independent lives, which, as documented, helps them on psychological levels as well. Let’s hope that the affordability of RAPUDA will be just as “simple” as well.
Developed by a team of researchers at Honda Research Institute and other Japan-based organizations, the robot is capable of imitating human movements like wiping or moving objects from one place to another. DiGORO is about 150cm tall, weighs 120kg, has two arms, a camera in his head and moves on wheels.
He’s also equipped with a microphone that comes with a voice recognition function to identify his master. The researchers claim DiGORO can learn up to ten movements and is also able to adjust to its immediate environment, for example pieces of furniture placed in a room he’s supposed to clean. DiGORO is said to be the first programmable robot that’s designed to do housework. His makers plan to commercialize the technology within “several years”. (The Japan Times, Crunch Gear, DigInfo, Robotics Zeitgeist)
He’s also equipped with a microphone that comes with a voice recognition function to identify his master. The researchers claim DiGORO can learn up to ten movements and is also able to adjust to its immediate environment, for example pieces of furniture placed in a room he’s supposed to clean. DiGORO is said to be the first programmable robot that’s designed to do housework. His makers plan to commercialize the technology within “several years”. (The Japan Times, Crunch Gear, DigInfo, Robotics Zeitgeist)
