Page 49 - Mechatronics for Safety, Security and Dependability in a New Era

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most of welfare equipments are categorized as "Consumer Products", like TV, furniture, others.
2.2 Focus on the demand from "Light Users"

The other target users, "Light Users", can take care of themselves mostly, and tends to do by
themselves as far as possible. Reviewing the tasks of Service Dogs, which are already working to
support these people with wheelchair, the examples of simple tasks are as follows; [5]
1 )Pick up something ordered by voice command 2)Pass to user or bring to trash box
3)Pull sliding door by pulling towel 4)Touch on some switches of wall
The basic part of Service Dog's features, can be Typical features of the robot for "Light Users",
working for daily care, because of this market acceptance.

2.3 Healthcare Partner Robot for "Light Users"

As reviewed in the tasks of Service Dog, the new category of robot is proposed with the following key
points to support "Light Users", as shown in Figure 1.
a)Simple features close to consumer products
b)Easy to use only by simple commands to reduce high cost/ intelligent modules
c)Use inexpensive, high reliability Hardware proven in the Factoiy Automation market.
d)Prepare Healthcare menus software on the platform of Human-Machine Interface and network.

Complexity of Features
Figure 1. Positioning of Healthcare Partner Robot Figure 2. An Example Partner Robot

2.4 A quick feedback to Healthcare Partner Robot concept from potential users

We made demonstration of an example Partner Robot, shown in Figure 2 developed by PFU, as
candidate healthcare function and made interview about robot features mainly to working-age and
elderly people of Tokorozawa city in March 2004. This robot is "Mobile Agent Robot", controlled by
handy phone or PC remotely, and moves around according to instructions, generates pre-recorded
voice, call to pre-registered phone number to indicate these events. After showing this robot, the
feedback from public citizens, 39 in total, is compiled in Table 2 and Table3.