Hospital care robot for isolated environments (VIDEO)
Caption
The Universitat Jaume I and the Castelló Provincial Hospital Consortium have tested the effectiveness of a teleoperated mobile omnidirectional terrestrial manipulator robot for use in isolation situations due to infectious or radiological risks.
The first trial consisted of a mobility test, navigation of the robot in corridors and rooms, opening of doors, data acquisition for 3D reconstruction of the environment and reach with the manipulator arm.
The robot would be used to deliver food and medication to patients in isolation due to infectious pathologies or admitted to the Special Hospitalisation Unit, where people requiring metabolic therapy or gynaecological brachytherapy are treated, thus avoiding unnecessary exposure of healthcare staff to possible infectious or radiological risks.
The robotic unit was developed by the IRSLab team at the UJI's Centre for Research in Robotics and Underwater Technologies (CIRTESU) as part of the European H2020 El-Peacetolero project to inspect plastic pipes in scenarios with radioactive risks where human intervention is not feasible, although the system has also been designed for use in biohazard environments such as a hospital centre.
The teleoperated omnidirectional mobile terrestrial manipulator robot integrates an intelligent sensor equipped with artificial intelligence, uses 2D and 3D LIDAR systems mounted on the mobile head and has a manipulator arm for future assistance to the patient.
The El-Peacetolero project (Embedded Electronic Solutions for Polymer Innovative Scanning Tools Using Light Emitting Devices for Diagnostic Routines) has been funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 945320.
Credit
Universitat Jaume I of Castellón (Spain)
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