Robot Helps Dress Elderly and Disabled Individuals
With technology advancing so quickly, there have been many developments in devices that can help elderly individuals. The Nara Institute of Science and Technology has created a robot that is able to dress the physically disabled and elderly. The device incorporates reinforcement learning and amazingly adapts to each person’s individual size and shape within minutes.
The device was from collaboration between Barrett Technology’s patented robotic WAM arms and NAIST’s advanced computer intelligence. The robot has the potential to help elderly and disabled people maintain their personal independence without needing a caretaker. Robots have the potential to play a vital role in solving quality-of-life issues for the elderly. While being able to dress yourself seems like a minor task for any common person, for the elderly and disabled it can be a daily challenge.
It takes an infant more than 10,000 hours of learning to master the motor skills of dressing, once those skills are taken away by disability or age, it is difficult to regain them or master them. These types of technological advances have the potential to prolong the need to hire a caretaker and also lower the chances of having your loved one become victimized by caretaker abuse, negligence, or theft. When considering the care of your loved one, it is important to consider what factors are preventing them from living independently and what can prevent the need for a nursing home or a full-time caretaker. Many elderly individuals want the dignity of independence but are often in need of help with daily activities like dressing, cooking, and bathing.
