A robot will now allow disabled people to become independent of helpers at work and at home
A ROBOT clerk that can turn pages,
load fax machines, staple documents, put office rubbish in bins and open
cans has gone on trial with severely
disabled people in the uk. Currently
on trail at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, the us $5,0000 pc system
can be controlled by a joystick on the wheelchair, which has a two-way infrared link.
At the centre of the workstation
system, called raid (Robot for Assisting the Integration of the Disabled),
is an extended robotic arm. It can lift
up to four kilograms of any object and rotate it through several axis.
By using a pneumatic tool-changer and different heads, raid can cope
up with a variety of tasks. A general-purpose gripper can be used to
handle disks, drinks in glasses or
cans and other objects. A suction cup
is used for handling cds. The robot
can take a book from a shelf of 18
volumes of different sizes, put them
on the reader board and slip to the required page. It can also move and load cd-Roms and floppy disks. Any
standard pc accessory, such as a printer or scanner, can also be operated.
Nine of the workstations are now on trial in uk, France and Sweden. The target group for the system is wheelchair users who have insufficient manipulation capability for operating computer workstations unaided but who are able to manipulate a basic input device like a joystick, rollerball or click a switch.
The workstation should allow the user to become independent for a whole day's work. It also allows them to be independent at home and perhaps continue with their education or just sit for a few hours a day reading a book and listening to music without the need of a helper to turn the page or change a cd.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.