Robot interaction adaptation for healthcare assistance

Abstract

Assitive robotics is one of the big players in the technological revolution we are living in. Expectations are extremely high but the reality is a bit more modest. We present here two realistic initiatives towards the introduction of assistive robots in real care facilities and homes. First, a cognitive training robot for mild dementia patients, able to play board games following caregiver instructions and adapting to patient’s needs. Second, we present the Robotic MOVit, a novel exercise-enabling control interface for powered wheelchair users. Instead of using a joystick the user controls the direction and speed of the powered wheelchair by cyclically moving his arms. Both robotic devices can adapt the interaction to the needs of the user and provide insightful information to researchers and clinicians.