Household and Assistive Robotics

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Service robots are becoming a common feature in our daily lives: consumer products, such as robot vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers and cleaning robots for windows and pools, are being sold in increasing numbers from year to year. At the same time, new consumer robots for special applications are constantly appearing on the market.

A particular focus in the development of service robots for everyday tasks is on assisting elderly or disabled people. The explicit wish of these people is to stay in their own homes for as long as possible and be dependent on others as little as possible. The use of technical assistive systems or assistive robots supports and enhances these people’s independence, and therefore helps to improve their quality of life.

Besides assisting people in need of help, robots can also help care givers or medical staff and reduce their workload as they carry out their tasks, e.g. by improving the efficiency and ergonomics of common care aids. In other personal services, too, work equipment can be optimized by implementing robot technologies. This improves employees’ working conditions as well as raising the standard of their work.

Another important application area of robotic technologies in the public sector is entertainment and information. In museums and at trade fairs or other events, service robots are always a special attraction. They interact with visitors, play with children or even give guided tours.

 

Household Robots for the Consumer Market

Most people find the idea of a service robot carrying out tedious, unrewarding household chores a highly attractive proposition. For many years now, Fraunhofer IPA has been concerned with developing new technologies for affordable, robust, easy-to-operate consumer robots.

 

Assistive Robots for the Demographic Change /AAL

Technical assistive systems enable people in need of help to be more independent and less reliant on others. Assistive robots complement existing AAL or smart home solutions because they are able to move about and/or perform handling tasks.

 

Robots for Assisting with Care Tasks in Nursing Homes and Hospitals

Hospital workers are especially affected by the demographic change. Service robot technologies enable common care aids to be operated more effectively and ergonomically, thus making life easier for members of staff as they work.

 

Rehabilitation Robots

After an illness or accident, it is important that patients regain their independence and mobility as soon as possible. Robot-based rehabilitation systems offer the potential to speed up recovery processes through effective, intensive training.

 

Entertainment Robots

The use of innovative robot technologies is now also opening up new potentials in the field of entertainment. Flexibility and speed, coupled with human-robot interaction, have become synonymous with versatility and future viability.

 

Product sheet “Mobile low-cost robots for home and garden”

 

Product sheet “Mobile entertainment and information robots”

Product sheet “Service robot technologies for residential and in-patient-care”

 

Product sheet “Assistance robots for helping in everyday situations and around the home”