Unmanned Ground Vehicles

Unmanned Ground Vehicle in Home Healthcare/ QoL
Based on the article: Robot caregivers are saving the elderly from lives of loneliness (Tarantola, 2017)

Some people may think that the passion for automation and robotic can create a new social and economic construct as this new instrument is replacing human tasks or functions. Such perspective can only instill fear, anger, and denial that makes most people hinder any technological advance. The unmanned ground vehicles are another groundbreaking technology that is changing the way we fight a war, we explore nature, or we engage in commercial activities. This article investigates the unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) as a robotics and intelligent system's application in home health care to improve the aging population quality of life.

The Need

The growing aging population has sparked the need for caregivers to provide essential life support and health care when needed.Life expectancy in most of the world, and particularly in industrialized states, have been increasing since 1900. Due to advances in healthcare, the average age of the older population is growing. Besides, as the “baby boom” generation reaches retirement age, the percentage of the population above age 65 in industrialized countries is also increasing.
Figure 1: Aging Population in the United States [Reprinted  from the Massachusetts Robotics Report] Source: National Center for Health Statistics, United States, 2012

 The increasing healthcare cost, the labor shortage, the continuous need for quality life, safety and old age need for staying at their home are among the factors driving the necessity of robotics caregivers acting as unmanned ground vehicles.

Technology and Operations
Small and medium-size UGV is appropriate for residential use, and the technology can be monitored and operated remotely or autonomously. Tarantola's article mentions the use of robotics technology in Japan's nursing home, and the technology is unmanned because of its mobility using legs, tracks or wheels without a human interacting directly with the physical part of the pre-programmed locomotive. Tarantola ( 2017) notes; "Relying on 300-pound bear-faced robots to help nursing home residents get out of bed in the morning is much more efficient if those folks have a reason to get out of bed in the morning."  The "care-o-bot" implies the technology can perform any dull, dangerous or dirty function a caregiver could perform. for example, the article alludes to " "serving robots that are able to ferry food and drinks to residents from the kitchen as well as keep them entertained by playing memory games to help keep their minds sharp."  A multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle can move around the house and act as a human caregiver using the sensor to define its environment and take action appropriate to the circumstances. For example, the robot can call the person and assess his status ( asleep or inactive) to perform some cares, such as giving the medicine, performing the CPR, calling the doctor or a relative. The robot free time can be used for some household chores.
Although the technology is still a work-in-progress, some doctors value its therapeutic effectiveness. Tarantola wrote:

And to put those people at ease who may not be 100 percent on-board with having a 4-foot tall robot butler zipping around the halls, the Care-o-bot is programmed to behave like a gentleman, Dr. Ulrich Reiser, Project and Group Leader at Fraunhofer IPA, wrote in the 2015 release. The technology can  achieve the  elderly freedom of movement and health care  that is a cost-effective as stated by the Massachusetts robotics clusters report (2015):

Government healthcare agencies have acknowledged research showing that it is more profitable to support the independence of the elderly in as many aspects of their lives as possible, rather than ignore that need until it becomes critical.

Conclusion

The application of UGV in the home-care and healthcare industry can substantially reduce the cost of assisted living care now that the healthcare cost is sky-rocking and the caregiver labor supply is shrinking. On the consumer side, the wheeled, tracked or legged can perform numerous task such as lifting, bathing, feeding, grooming, taking medicine or doing the household chore. UGV completing automatic and autonomous will only facilitate the transportation of the elderly who could increase their degree of freedom in movement. Such technology demands complex design framework that ensures a safe, effective and efficient simulation of all the functions needed in home-cares and healthcare facilities.The technology must comprise soft gripping units, advanced sensors, polyvalent mobility capabilities, such as wheels, tracks, and legs. The Massassuchets report asserts that " A wealthy, politically connected elderly population will drive the market for technology that increases independence and enhances their lifestyle in old age"("The Massachusetts Robotics Cluster," 2015).

References

 Tarantola, A. (2017, September 06). Robot caregivers are saving the elderly from lives of loneliness. Retrieved February 27, 2018, from https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/29/robot-caregivers-are-saving-the-elderly-from-lives-of-loneliness/

The Massachusetts Robotics Cluster. (2015). Retrieved February 27, 2018, from https://masstech.org/research-and-analysis/massachusetts-robotics-cluster


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