Robotics and automation technologies, key pillars of Industry 4.0, are also being used for assistive purposes, making life easier for people with disabilities and giving them better access to the world around them. These advances not only give them independence and autonomy, but also help reduce social prejudices.
Assistive robots have a wide range of applications, from exoskeletons and smart wheelchairs to rehabilitation devices and bionic prosthetics. Some are still in their early stages, offering both opportunities and challenges. The United Nations itself highlighted their potential to reduce inequalities at the last World Summit on Artificial Intelligence in Geneva, Switzerland. Here are some recent innovations in robotics and technology in assisting people with disabilities.
Exoskeleton to assist with walking and rehabilitation
Also known as robotic suits or powered armor, the devices adapt to the body’s movements through intelligent algorithms. They can be worn on the whole body or on limbs. These exoskeletons replace lost functions, treat musculoskeletal problems, assist physiotherapists treating patients with movement and cognitive disorders, and train hospitalized patients in locomotion.
In Spain, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) has been conducting research in the field of gait neurorehabilitation and neuroprosthetics for the past 20 years. In this organization, engineer Elena GarcĂa Almada is a pioneer in exoskeletons for children, for which she received the 2022 European Inventor Award. Currently, they are researching several exoskeletons, such as the CP Walker 2.0, an exoskeleton for posture correction during walking in children with cerebral palsy, Discover2Walk, a device aimed at children aged 1 to 3 years, and Exo-H3, a wearable device adapted to the legs, feet and hips.
Bionic or prosthetic limbs
3D printing is helping to create prosthetic limbs and other assistive devices to meet the needs of people with disabilities, while robotics combined with brain-computer interfaces (BCI) is enabling neuro-connected bionic hands, arms and legs, the most innovative of which is already the MiniTouch robotic hand, which can transmit sensations such as cold or warmth when touching an object.
Hugh Herr, a bionics expert at MIT who lost both his legs in a mountain climbing accident, was awarded the Princess of Asturias Prize for Technical and Scientific Research in 2016 for his development of a cutting-edge bionic leg. Herr is now working on the next generation of bionic prosthetics, including a new interface to connect the artificial device to the body based on miniature magnetic implants (magnetomicrometries).
Equipment for the visually and hearing impaired
A robotic hand designed to speak sign language also helps people who are deaf and blind. The prototype is called Tatum T1 and can translate English texts from emails, books and the internet into this visual and gestural language. Thanks to robotics and other technologies, the daily lives of people who are deaf and blind can be dramatically improved.
The first robotic guide dog is in full swing. The robot will sense the space and move autonomously, using technologies such as lidar, IoT sensors and artificial intelligence to identify people and avoid obstacles. One of them is being promoted by the Institute of Physical and Information Technologies (ITEFI) of CSIC, called Tefi after the initials of the center. Brazilian engineers have developed Lysa for the same purpose: to navigate safely. Both are expected to be cheaper alternatives to real guide dogs.
Researchers at Stanford University are developing the Augmented Cane, a smart cane equipped with sensors, a lidar system, GPS, cameras, and accelerometers, and its operation is based on the same algorithms as self-driving cars.
Self-driving cars
Self-driving cars are technically a reality, and experts hope that the integration of vehicle-recognized voice, haptics (tactile feedback) and gestures could make them a reality even for the visually impaired, according to a study that suggests designing these kinds of cars with inclusion and accessibility criteria in mind from the start.
Smart wheelchairs add features not available in power wheelchairs to make it easier and safer to move around without the help of others, such as obstacle and pedestrian detection, fall notification, automatic lighting, stair-climbing wheels, self-driving, etc.
The University of Michigan is running a project to study the Vulcan Autonomous System. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is also working on building an autonomous car. On the one hand, they have designed a wheelchair that can go up and down stairs. On the other hand, they are developing a wheelchair with a navigation system, etc., similar to that of an autonomous car.
Intelligent walkers for people with mobility issues, robotic body-changing cameras, machines that can change clothes, hair washing machines, feeding machines, robots that can transport people from wheelchairs to beds, and many other assistive robots are improving the lives of not only people with disabilities but also their caregivers.