April 15, 2025
Project Idea 1: Physical Therapist Stretch, focusing on motor function and force application [CHOSEN]
Target User Group: The primary users of this stretch robot would be people living with neurological or physical conditions that impair their motor movement. This includes patients seeking rehabilitation for stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) as well as those in the process of healing from post-surgical operations and fractures.
Challenges and Tasks: Living with conditions that require force sensors in rehabilitation often comes with a range of physical, emotional, and social challenges. Paralysis or a weakening of one or many limbs is common with stroke and Parkinson’s patients. Many common tasks, such as picking up objects or buttoning up clothes are no longer able to be done independently. Similarly, stiffness, slow movement, fatigue, or even being able to bear weight on a limb can become difficult. This can lead patients to have poorer mental health as well as a feeling of isolation or dependence on others. Issues with balance and posture are other common symptoms of many of these disorders and can increase the risk for falls. Finally, the rehabilitation process can spend a lot of time building up strength in these limbs but that often requires the help of a caregiver or trained therapist. We hope to alleviate this financial and time consuming burden with the Stretch robot that can help in a variety of cases that aid motor function rehabilitation in an efficient and well-monitored way.
Solution with Stretch: In this broad space of rehabilitation, the Stretch robot will have clearly defined ways of aiding a user as well as measuring their progress over time. We envision the stretch robot (and a related UI) that allows users to complete specific physical therapy exercises with the Stretch, rather than a caregiver or therapist. Based on the mobility level of the users, the stretch can gradually measure how much dexterity and force a user can apply. For example, a force sensor attached to the claw has a range of motion that can vary by height, depth, or laterally. As such, the Stretch can track users with its cameras and place the sensor in different locations. A user would be able to track these changes and move their arm or leg to practice this motion. The effectiveness of the user in reaching this location and applying a force would be measured. This can be extended to more complicated exercises such as applying force on the move or mixing arm and leg movement. Over time, we believe this can lower the costs of rehabilitation while allowing a user to gain more flexibility and strength with their limbs.
User Engagement Plan: Our stretch robot will be outfitted with a variety of visual and force sensors to measure progress over time. Patients with a defined physical therapy plan could substitute their motor function exercises by working with the Stretch, which will allow for continued use. One such sensor will be a force gauge, that can measure the amount of instantaneous force applied to a button by the user. This can be tracked and sent to a database to measure change over time. Additionally, the Stretch is already outfitted with a depth and wide angle camera as well as cameras on the gripper to track user movement. Finally the range of motion of the robot can also be used to have users walk to certain areas and apply their own full range of motion during the rehabilitation process. We can iteratively train this robot based on simulated actions and have it dynamically interact with users. To actually reach potential users, we have reached out to neurological specialists at UW Med as well as a research mentor with the Ubiquitous Computing Lab. Both have extensive experience with physical therapy for patients with motor disabilities and have provided contacts in the UW community to speak with.
Project Idea 2: TidyMate Stretch Manipulator for Physically Limited People
Target User Group: The primary users of this stretch robot would be people living with physical conditions that impair their motor movement. This includes individuals with partial or full physical disabilities (e.g., limited mobility, paralysis, or severe joint pain) as well as elderly people aged 70 and above. This group often lives independently or with minimal caregiver assistance and may struggle with daily physical tasks. The goal is to support them in maintaining a clean and organized living environment, which is essential for physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life.
Challenges and Tasks: Maintaining cleanliness and organization at home is a major challenge for elderly and disabled individuals.
Specific issues include:
Inability to bend down or reach high places to pick up objects (e.g., water bottles, clothes, dishes, pet toys)
Fatigue or pain from repetitive movements like cleaning or organizing
Risk of falling while trying to clean or tidy up
Reduced sense of independence and dignity due to inability to manage daily household chores
Solution with Stretch: The Stretch mobile manipulator is a low-cost, compact, and versatile robot with a camera, sensors, and a single arm capable of manipulating a variety of objects. It is well-suited to address this specific problem due to the following capabilities:
Object detection and manipulation: Identify and pick up common clutter items like clothes, water bottles, dishes, or pet toys
Navigation: Move autonomously within home environments to locate and transport objects
Task-specific placement: Deliver items to appropriate locations (e.g., dishwasher for plates, laundry basket for clothes, trash bin for garbage)
Customizable routines: Set up personalized cleaning tasks based on the user’s preferences
User Engagement Plan: TidyMate is designed to operate with minimal user intervention following an initial configuration. Once set up, it autonomously performs cleaning routines and recharging cycles as needed. To ensure the best possible experience for our target audience, we will actively engage with users to gather feedback, conduct usability testing, and iteratively refine the system based on real-world use cases. Our primary goal is to deliver a seamless, reliable, and user-centered experience throughout the robot's entire lifecycle.