Fall-preventing robot may reduce caregiver reliance

A WEARABLE assistive robot that can detect and prevent falls, especially among the elderly, has been developed by researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

It can enable independent living among the elderly as it reduces a person’s reliance on a caregiver, said TTSH, NTU and the National Robotics Programme yesterday.

Its inbuilt sensors can instantaneously detect loss of balance and stabilises the user by way of a harness worn around his hips, they said.

It can also help users who have difficulty walking and balancing to stand up safely from a seated position, and to sit down safely from a standing position.

Called the Mobile Robotic Balance Assistant, the robot is about 1m tall and 70cm wide and weighs 100kg. It has a harness, which the user wears on their hips, that can counter falls and imbalances. The robot follows the user as they move around.

The robot uses a depth-sensing camera to observe the user’s movements, while its machine-learning algorithms estimate the balance state of the user in real time to predict impending imbalances or falls. — The Straits Times/ANN