Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev received a grant for a project to advance assistive robotics that will help the elderly complete everyday tasks.
Their project, "Follow Me: Proxemics and Responsiveness for Following Tasks in Adaptive Assistive Robotics," aims to advance "robotic adaptive person-following" algorithms (APFA) to include concepts from human-human interaction.
They hope to develop robots that are highly individualized to the special needs of each elderly user. It will focus on improving older users' well being and generate guidelines for future users' attentive robotic assistants.
The algorithms will include social factors and will adjust to user pace, abilities and actions while taking into account the characteristics of the environment and the task, as well. The project's final outcomes will include guidelines for future implementations of the technology and demonstrations.
"While most person-following algorithms focus on the effectiveness and efficiency of the robot, what is unique about our approach is that we focus on the effectiveness of the human-robot interaction by introducing constructs related to proximity in human-human interaction," Dr. Tal Oron-Gilad, a researcher in BGU's Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, said in a statement.
Researchers said the human-robot system must adapt to the individual and be able to maintain the appropriate distance and responsiveness, especially for older users who may be more vulnerable and less technology savvy.
"Robots can assist the elderly in everyday tasks as they seek to age independently," Oron-Gilad said. "Nevertheless, the introduction of assistive robotics into seniors' daily life will be dependent upon user acceptance, satisfaction and affordability."
