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Article
Publication date: 13 March 2018

Martina Čaić, Gaby Odekerken-Schröder and Dominik Mahr

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential roles for service robots (i.e. socially assistive robots) in value networks of elderly care. Taking an elderly person’s…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential roles for service robots (i.e. socially assistive robots) in value networks of elderly care. Taking an elderly person’s perspective, it defines robot roles according to their value co-creating/destroying potential for the elderly user (i.e. focal actor), while acknowledging consequences for a network of users around the elderly (i.e. network actors).

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative, interpretative study employs in-depth phenomenographic interviews, supported by generative cards activities (i.e. Contextual Value Network Mapping), to elicit an elderly person’s tacit knowledge and anticipate the effects of introducing an automated actor on institutionalized value co-creation practices.

Findings

The proposed typology identifies six roles of socially assistive robots in an elderly person’s value network (enabler, intruder, ally, replacement, extended self, and deactivator) and links them to three health-supporting functions by robots: safeguarding, social contact, and cognitive support.

Research limitations/implications

Elderly people have notable expectations about the inclusion of a socially assistive robot as a new actor in their value networks. The identified robot roles inform service scholars and managers about both the value co-destruction potential that needs to be avoided through careful designs and the value co-creation potential that should be leveraged.

Originality/value

Using network-conscious phenomenographic interviews before the introduction of a novel value proposition sheds new light on the shifting value co-creation interplay among value network actors (i.e. elderly people, formal and informal caregivers). The value co-creation/destruction potential of socially assistive robots and their corresponding roles in care-based value networks offer insights for the design of meaningful robotic technology and its introduction into the existing service networks.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 29 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 March 2021

Karthik Kumar Santhanaraj, Ramya M.M. and Dinakaran D.

The rousing phenomenon of the ageing population is becoming a vital issue and demanding fulminant actions. Population ageing is a resultant of the enhanced health-care system…

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Abstract

Purpose

The rousing phenomenon of the ageing population is becoming a vital issue and demanding fulminant actions. Population ageing is a resultant of the enhanced health-care system, groovy antibiotics, medications and economic well-being. Old age leads to copious amounts of ailments. Aged people, owing to their reduced mobility and enervating disabilities, tend to rely upon caretakers and/or nursing personnel. With the increasing vogue of nuclear families in the society, the elderly are at the risk of being unveiled to emotional, physical and fiscal insecurities in the years to come. Caring for those seniors will be an enormous undertaking.

Design/methodology/approach

There is a dire need for an intelligent assistive system to meet out the requirements of continuous holistic care and monitoring. Assistive robots and systems used for elderly care are studied. The design motivation for the robots, elderly–robot interaction capabilities and technology incorporated in the systems are examined meticulously.

Findings

From the survey, it is suggested that the subsystems of an assistive robot revamped for better human–machine interactions will be a potential alternative to the human counterpart. Affirmable advancements in the robot design and interaction methodologies that would increase the holistic care and assistance for aged people are analyzed and listed.

Originality/value

This paper reviews the available assistive technologies and suggests a synergistic model that can be adopted for the caring of the elderly.

Details

Journal of Enabling Technologies, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-6263

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 September 2023

Ata Jahangir Moshayedi, Nafiz Md Imtiaz Uddin, Xiaohong Zhang and Mehran Emadi Andani

This paper aims to explore and review the potential of robotic rehabilitation as a treatment approach for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and its impact on the health and quality of life…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore and review the potential of robotic rehabilitation as a treatment approach for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and its impact on the health and quality of life of AD patients.

Design/methodology/approach

The present discourse endeavors to provide a comprehensive overview of extant scholarly inquiries that have examined the salience of inhibitory mechanisms vis-à-vis robotic interventions and their impact on patients with AD. Specifically, this review aims to explicate the contemporary state of affairs in this realm by furnishing a detailed explication of ongoing research endeavors. With the objective of elucidating the significance of inhibitory processes in robotic therapies for individuals with AD, this analysis offers a critical appraisal of extant literature that probes the intersection of cognitive mechanisms and assistive technologies. Through a meticulous analysis of diverse scholarly contributions, this review advances a nuanced understanding of the intricate interplay between inhibitory processes and robotic interventions in the context of AD.

Findings

According to the review papers, it appears that implementing robot-assisted rehabilitation can serve as a pragmatic and effective solution for enhancing the well-being and overall quality of life of patients and families engaged with AD. Besides, this new feature in the robotic area is anticipated to have a critical role in the success of this innovative approach.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the nascent nature of this cutting-edge technology and the constrained configuration of the mechanized entity in question, further protracted analysis is imperative to ascertain the advantages and drawbacks of robotic rehabilitation vis-à-vis individuals afflicted with Alzheimer’s ailment.

Social implications

The potential for robots to serve as indispensable assets in the provision of care for individuals afflicted with AD is significant; however, their efficacy and appropriateness for utilization by caregivers of AD patients must be subjected to further rigorous scrutiny.

Originality/value

This paper reviews the current robotic method and compares the current state of the art for the AD patient.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. 43 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 June 2014

Julia Kantorovitch, Janne Väre, Vesa Pehkonen, Arto Laikari and Heikki Seppälä

The purpose of this paper is to create new ideas for assistive technology products at home, especially products utilizing robotic consumer appliances available in the homes of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to create new ideas for assistive technology products at home, especially products utilizing robotic consumer appliances available in the homes of elderly people. The work was founded on a reported increase in household robots as well as an ageing population in the industrialized world.

Design/methodology/approach

Technology should be something that is perceived as belonging to our own world that fits our daily practices. Earlier studies show that in addition to cleaning functions, new household robots could change home routines and people's relationship to them. Taking the previous studies as a starting point, the paper proposes a vacuum cleaner robot as a platform for developing pervasive safety services and describe implementation of a conceptual prototype which brings the feeling of safety to an older person and their relatives by assisting in case of accidents. Moreover, the results are presented of an empirical evaluation of the prototype with end-users.

Findings

It is proved that reasonably priced off-the-shelf components can be used to build the safety product demonstration model. The initial evaluation results, as well as referenced studies show that the acceptance rate of a household robot-based product is high, which is encouraging for further research in this domain. Also the paper could pinpoint areas that will require further work.

Research limitations/implications

To add more practicality to the research and move towards product development, a strong industrial partner involved in household robotics would be needed. For increased reliability and robustness, more research is required in areas of advanced sensing technology and decision algorithms.

Originality/value

A novel concept of a safety product for elderly care based on a vacuum cleaner robot is presented and an attempt is made to increase awareness that there will be a demand for such products.

Details

Journal of Assistive Technologies, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-9450

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2013

Robert Bogue

The purpose of this paper is to provide details of recent developments in human‐robot interfacing technologies.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide details of recent developments in human‐robot interfacing technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper considers recently developed or emerging technologies which allow humans to interact with robots in novel ways. It first considers inexpensive robots which are simple to programme and which can work alongside humans in a manufacturing environment. It then discusses assistive robots, which aim to help the aged or infirm and finally, the latest progress in controlling robots with the human brain is reported.

Findings

This shows that new and improved human‐robot interfacing technologies are the topic of a major development effort. Low‐cost robots that can readily be commissioned and operated in close proximity to humans are starting to impact the market. Assistive robot technology is progressing due to novel man‐machine interfacing techniques and the first instances of quadriplegic patients using their mind to control robots to manipulate object in three‐dimensional space is discussed.

Originality/value

This paper provides details of significant, recent developments in human‐robot interfacing.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 40 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 December 2020

Giuseppe Gillini, Paolo Di Lillo, Filippo Arrichiello, Daniele Di Vito, Alessandro Marino, Gianluca Antonelli and Stefano Chiaverini

In the past decade, more than 700 million people are affected by some kind of disability or handicap. In this context, the research interest in assistive robotics is growing up…

Abstract

Purpose

In the past decade, more than 700 million people are affected by some kind of disability or handicap. In this context, the research interest in assistive robotics is growing up. For people with mobility impairments, daily life operations, as dressing or feeding, require the assistance of dedicated people; thus, the use of devices providing independent mobility can have a large impact on improving their life quality. The purpose of this paper is to present the development of a robotic system aimed at assisting people with this kind of severe motion disabilities by providing a certain level of autonomy.

Design/methodology/approach

The system is based on a hierarchical architecture where, at the top level, the user generates simple and high-level commands by resorting to a graphical user interface operated via a P300-based brain computer interface. These commands are ultimately converted into joint and Cartesian space tasks for the robotic system that are then handled by the robot motion control algorithm resorting to a set-based task priority inverse kinematic strategy. The overall architecture is realized by integrating control and perception software modules developed in the robots and systems environment with the BCI2000 framework, used to operate the brain–computer interfaces (BCI) device.

Findings

The effectiveness of the proposed architecture is validated through experiments where a user generates commands, via an Emotiv Epoc+ BCI, to perform assistive tasks that are executed by a Kinova MOVO robot, i.e. an omnidirectional mobile robotic platform equipped with two lightweight seven degrees of freedoms manipulators.

Originality/value

The P300 paradigm has been successfully integrated with a control architecture that allows us to command a complex robotic system to perform daily life operations. The user defines high-level commands via the BCI, letting all the low-level tasks, for example, safety-related tasks, to be handled by the system in a completely autonomous manner.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 49 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 June 2017

Robert Bogue

This paper aims to provide details of the safety considerations, technologies and standards associated with robots that interact with, or operate in proximity to, humans.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide details of the safety considerations, technologies and standards associated with robots that interact with, or operate in proximity to, humans.

Design/methodology/approach

Following an introduction, this paper first considers collaborative robots and discusses their safety features and the new technical specification ISO/TS 15066, together with certain allied safety standards. It then discusses ISO 13482 and a range of assistive, personal care and service robots which comply with this and highlights new standards that are under development. Mobile warehouse and delivery robots are then considered, together with the safety technologies used and the associated standards. Finally, brief concluding comments are drawn.

Findings

The recent proliferation of robots that interact with humans or operate in proximity to them has led to the development of standards and specifications which seek to ensure safe operation. These allow robot manufacturers to design inherently safe products that will gain market acceptance and also help to inspire confidence among users. A number of new standards and specifications have been proposed or are being developed, and this trend is set to continue as new classes of robotic products emerge.

Originality/value

All manner of robots are being developed which interact with humans, and this provides details of the associated safety considerations, technologies and standards.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 October 2013

Robert Bogue

– This article aims to discuss the potential of robots to assist the disabled and the elderly and to highlight some of the associated ethical issues.

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Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to discuss the potential of robots to assist the disabled and the elderly and to highlight some of the associated ethical issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Following an introduction, this considers robotic wheelchairs and exoskeletons, companion robots, assistive robots and household robots. This is followed by a short discussion of the ethical issues associated with their use.

Findings

This shows that many types of robots are available or under development which seek to aid the disabled and the elderly. Various as yet unresolved ethical issues have been raised regarding their use, most notably the potential problems arising from a reduction in human interactions.

Originality/value

In an era characterised by a growing elderly population, this article provides a timely review of robots aimed at assisting the elderly and disabled and gives some consideration of the ethical issues surrounding their use.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 40 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 October 2017

Robert Bogue

This paper aims to provide a technical insight into a selection of robotic people detection technologies and applications.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a technical insight into a selection of robotic people detection technologies and applications.

Design/methodology/approach

Following an introduction, this paper first discusses people-sensing technologies which seek to extend the capabilities of human-robot collaboration by allowing humans to operate alongside conventional, industrial robots. It then provides examples of developments in people detection and tracking in unstructured, dynamic environments. Developments in people sensing and monitoring by assistive robots are then considered and finally, brief concluding comments are drawn.

Findings

Robotic people detection technologies are the topic of an extensive research effort and are becoming increasingly important, as growing numbers of robots interact directly with humans. These are being deployed in industry, in public places and in the home. The sensing requirements vary according to the application and range from simple person detection and avoidance to human motion tracking, behaviour and safety monitoring, individual recognition and gesture sensing. Sensing technologies include cameras, lasers and ultrasonics, and low cost RGB-D cameras are having a major impact.

Originality/value

This article provides details of a range of developments involving people sensing in the important and rapidly developing field of human-robot interactions.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 44 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 August 2014

Dalia De Santis, Jacopo Zenzeri, Maura Casadio, Lorenzo Masia, Valentina Squeri and Pietro Morasso

The working hypothesis, on which this paper is built, is that it is advantageous to look at protocols of robot rehabilitation in the general context of human-robot interaction in…

Abstract

Purpose

The working hypothesis, on which this paper is built, is that it is advantageous to look at protocols of robot rehabilitation in the general context of human-robot interaction in haptic dyads. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new method to detect and evaluate an index of active participation (AC index), underlying the performance of robot-assisted movements. This is important for avoiding the slacking phenomenon that affects robot therapy.

Design/methodology/approach

The evaluation of the AC index is based on a novel technique of assistance which does not use constant or elastic forces but trains of small force impulses, with amplitude adapted to the level of impairment and a frequency of 2 Hz, which is suggested by recent results in the field of intermittent motor control. A preliminary feasibility test of the proposed method was carried out during a haptic reaching task in the absence of visual feedback, for a group of five stroke patients and an equal group of healthy subjects.

Findings

The AC index appears to be stable and sensitive to training in both populations of subjects.

Originality/value

The main original element of this study is the proposal of the new AC index of voluntary control associated with the new method of pulsed haptic interaction.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-378X

Keywords

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