Robotics Technologies in care – potential applications and opportunities

EPIC – Ehealth Productivity and Innovation in Cornwall

Professor Ray Jones, University of Plymouth

This three year project aims to improve the ehealth sector (including care robotics) in Cornwall while improving health and wellbeing. We are working with both ‘users’ (ie health and social care professionals, patients, and students) and suppliers (ie small companies including trying to encourage start-ups) to create a strong network of supply and demand for e-health products. The work includes the development of a care robotics sector, demonstrating the use of humanoid (Pepper) robots and robot animals (Paro and a variety of other animals) and their potential use in care homes and elsewhere. Alongside this, researchers are working on a related project,that is examining the characteristics of robot animals that are preferred and effective for people living in care homes.

Ray Jones is Professor of Health Informatics at the University of Plymouth leading a programme of research focussed mainly on the implementation and evaluation of e-health and e-learning. He is currently Director of (EPIC), a £3.5million project partly funded by ERDF.

CHIRON – The future of robot assisted care?

Associate Professor Praminda Caleb-Solly, University of the West of England

CHIRON is a robotics for care project is developing technology to enable people to live independently at home. CHIRON is an intelligent modular robotic system, located in multiple positions around your home; CHIRON could help you with personal hygiene tasks in the morning, help you get ready for the day and even support you in preparing your favourite meal in the kitchen. The CHIRON system harnesses current and emerging ability of robotic systems to handle materials and objects with high levels of accuracy, linked to sensory feedback and vision.

The CHIRON project is funded by Innovate UK and the consortium is led by the charity Designability. The key technology partners are Bristol Robotics Laboratory and Shadow Robot Company, who have considerable expertise in conducting pioneering research and development in robotics. Award winning social enterprise care provider, Three Sisters Care bring user-centred design to the very core of our project. The project is managed by Telemetry Associates and the Smart Homes and Buildings Association are working to support the integration of CHIRON into the home.

This presentation will consider the place of robotics and autonomous systems technology in the home, review some of the challenges associated with the design of these systems and the development of the CHIRON system.