Help to get people back on their feet

Robots are one of the potential solutions to the issues of an ageing society. They can ­assist nursing staff, and enable ­disabled people to live a more ­independent life. US veteran Romy Carmago had the opportunity to try out Toyota’s HSR ­assistance robot in his day-to-day routine. There is still a lot of development work to be done, however, before the technology is fit for everyday life.

Since his third tour of duty in Afghanistan, Romy Carmago has been paralysed from the shoulders down. But Romy has not given up. Although the doctors told him he would never again be able to breathe without a ventilator, he now doesn’t need one. The doctors have also told him he will never walk or be able to use his arms again, but he is sure he will do it one day.

Getting back on their feet thanks to technology

Using technology if necessary: Romy Carmago has established the “Stay in Step” rehabilitation facility near to his home city of Tampa, Florida. The centre offers programmes and provides technical aids with which paraplegics can stand again and perform exercises. It literally helps people get back on their feet.
In late 2016 Romy had the opportunity to try out a totally new piece of kit: the “Human Support Robot” (HSR) from Toyota. The Japanese group’s research institute has supported Romy Carmago’s rehab centre from the very beginning. So it was no surprise that it chose to trial its new care robot, launched in 2015, as a means of assisting paraplegic patients at the centre.

Help for an aging society

The HSR was originally designed to help care for the elderly. It is a lucrative market, particularly as the World Health Organisation (WHO) forecasts that 22 per cent of the global population will be over 60 by the year 2050. The trend in Japan is even more dramatic: almost 40 per cent of its population is predicted to be 65 or older by 2060. So demand for long-term carers is correspondingly high. And that is also the reason why so many care robots are being developed in Japan.
This is also where the versatile HSR seeks to help. By taking over everyday tasks, it enables people who need care or rely on assistance to continue living an independent life at home. The lightweight (37 kilogram) robot, standing about a metre tall, can use its flexible gripper arm to pick up objects from the floor or from a shelf and put them back again, and open and close curtains for example.
The HSR can also be controlled remotely. Family or friends can operate the robot even when they are away from the location. When doing so, the remote operator’s face is shown on the display and their voice is heard in real time, so enabling the person being assisted to interact with family and friends.
In order to drive the ongoing development of the robot, Toyota has established the HSR Developers’ Community in conjunction with a number of research institutions. Its aim is to put the HSR through practical trials, assure its continuous improvement, and achieve its launch as rapidly as possible. The robot is also being made available to various partner organisations such as universities, and also care homes, in order to refine the software further.

Practical trial

And so it was that the HSR also found its way to Romy Carmago, who tested the robot in his home. The assistance robot was required to perform two quite simple tasks in helping Romy with his day-to-day routine: open the house door as soon as he approached; and give him a drink when needed. They were two tasks that took a lot of training for the little robot. The appraisal by Toyota’s research team at the end of the trial is anything but euphoric: they note that there is still a long way to go before the technology is fit for the real world. But the development work goes on. The researchers are confident that the HSR will one day possess the necessary capabilities to enable people like Romy Camargo to live a more independent life.

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