Seen here are six possible assistance scenarios with the E-BAR: (top, from left) Getting into/out of a bathtub, bending down to reach objects, catching a fall, (bottom, from left) sit-to-stand transition from a toilet, lifting from the floor, and walking assistance. — MIT/dpa
Getting on in years means not being as light on one’s feet as in the past.
But for some, it also means a risk of debilitating falls, which can be even more dangerous for those who live alone.
ALSO READ: A fall in the elderly can be the start of deteriorating health
With all that in mind, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineers in the United States have made a robot to help elderly people remain at home for longer and avoid having to either pay for care or depend on family for assistance with standing and sitting.
“All the demographic trends point to a shortage of caregivers, a surplus of elderly persons, and a strong desire for elderly persons to age in place,” said MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering graduate student and the robot’s designer Roberto Bolli.
The MIT team said they have built and tested what they call E-BAR – the Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot – which the university described as “designed to physically support the elderly and prevent them from falling as they move around their homes”.
“Many older adults underestimate the risk of fall and refuse to use physical aids, which are cumbersome, while others overestimate the risk and may not exercise, leading to declining mobility,” said MIT Ford Professor of Engineering Dr Harry Asada.
The contraption entails “robotic handlebars” that follow the user, who, the MIT team said, can in turn “walk independently or lean on the robot’s arms for support”.
“The robot can support the person’s full weight, lifting them from sitting to standing, and vice versa, along a natural trajectory.
“And the arms of the robot can catch them by rapidly inflating side airbags if they begin to fall,” the researchers explained.
“Our design concept is to provide older adults having balance impairment with robotic handlebars for stabilising their body.
“The handlebars go anywhere and provide support any time, whenever they need,” Prof Asada said.
The prototype is operated by remote control, but the team aims to create a smaller, more nimble update that is automated to detect a user’s movement and follow him or her around. – dpa
