Tele-care system by hoist-trolley robot arm from multi controllers and cellphone controller

Abstract

In Japan, aging society is serious problem, and the number bedridden elderly person is increasing. Many care-givers for these persons can’t go out easily because bedridden person asks the care-giver to do most things in their life. To reduce this problem, we have developed a tele-care system with hoist trolley robot. The robot conveys light baggage such as drinks or books for bedridden person instead of the care-giver. This network enables to control robot from multiple remote controllers and mobile controller using cellphone. The remote terminal is able to be set at the remote place, and this terminal communicates robot command signal, voice, and video information interactively, and user control robot and communicate with elderly person simultaneously. The mobile controller is easy for care-giver to carry about and able to use everywhere. Using the mobile controller, the user selects the move pattern set in advance, and confirms from camera movie. For this network system, we used common object request broker architecture (CORBA) technology. CORBA technology enables to manage the system and computers such as switching terminal that control robot. We tested the performance of this system. On remote controller, the feedback delay on control robot was less than 82.7ms, and the bandwidth which system required was 1.6Mbps. On mobile controller, the frame rate of movie from camera was 0.36 frames per second (fps), and the feedback delay was about 7s. Besides, we evaluated the task performance time. The task is to convey can about 1.8m. When user controlled the robot from remote controller, performance time was 86.9±4.8s, and when controlled from mobile controller, the time was 139.8±6.5s. We think that care-giver can control robot smoothly in broadband network system from remote controller, and care-giver can confirm that robot works sequentially from mobile controller.