Modern Care: When the Robot Brings the Lemonade

 
The speaker of the workshop;
© Trade Fair Düsseldorf

Robots in nursing - that sounds strange at first. However at MEDICA Fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, was shown that it will probably not take so long, until these kinds of technical assistants in nursing homes will be used.

Since 2008 the project WiMi care for “The promotion of knowledge transfer for active participation in the care sector through micro-system technology " is developing options how service robots could be integrated in nursing homes as needed and user-oriented. Which was presented today at the MEDICA MEDIA forum.

An important "employee" of the project, is the service robot, "Care-O-bot" of the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), which was presented by Doctor Birgit Graf. "We wanted to create a helper for daily life, a sort of butler. It should not look humanoid, because this would arouse exterior high expectations among residents," said the graduate engineer. The robot should distribute in a first scenario drinks to the elderly - and it worked. Using the touch screen the residents for example, could order a lemonade, which then was independently brought by the robot from the kitchen.

Diego Gompagna from the University of Duisburg-Essen, introduced the previous approach of the joint project in which both users and developers and designers are integrated. "The question here was: what is required socially and what is technically feasible? From the outset adjustments have been repeatedly tested by users and changes implemented. And not just once but in multiple adjustment loops,” described Compagna. Ideally, a finished product would be developed only if all parties are satisfied. Still, the project runs until 2011.

"The residents accepted the service easily with a few exceptions, though many were skeptical previously, because before they did not have an idea what would be going on. The nurses were open to the new volunteers ," concluded Graf.

"It is important for the integration of robotics in nursing homes that the nursing staff do not feel like the odd one out," said Gunnar Nußbeck from the University of Göttingen. Rather, the use of technical aids constitute a relief, especially with regard to demographic change, which will sooner or later develop the looming nursing shortage.

REHACARE.de; Source: MEDICA.de

- More about the MEDICA at: www.medica.de

( Source: REHACARE.de )

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