Revised Project Idea

Primary users: 

People who require frequent application of topical medicine for treatment, particularly those who require application multiple times a day and have limited dexterity and require application on difficult-to-reach locations (e.g. on one's back).

The problem:

Dry skin (xerosis) is an especially common problem among the senior population, affecting nearly all people over 65[1]. Severity can range from a mild itch to, in extreme cases, severe blistering and pain. It is also not uncommon to see xerosis as a symptom of other illnesses. Discounting the fact that rashes can sometimes be in hard-to-reach places on the body, dealing with this irritation can especially difficult for people with limited dexterity or with physical disabilities, as applying topical medicines, an otherwise simple, inexpensive, and effective remedy, is a non-trivial task to this group. This is further exacerbated by the fact that such topicals often require frequent application - a few times a day - to be maximally effective. A robot that is capable of automatically using a specialized cloth to apply such a topical would thus be of great convenience to both the patient and caregiver.

Some people, after undergoing invasive surgeries, have significant surgical sites that must be kept clean to avoid infection and thus further complications. This is especially true for the older population, as they are at greater risk for both need of surgeries such as heart bypass surgery or general complications due to age, as well as infection of an opening in the skin due to the weaker immune system that a senior generally possesses. The proposed robot may be able to assist here as well, by cleaning a site with alcohol or similar disinfectant on a regular basis.

Current solutions:

Caregiver: while in some cases, seniors require 24/7 care, such options are generally quite expensive, and dealing with xerosis does not seem like the most cost-effective or time-effective method of resolving this issue.

Miscellaneous robots: Other researches have designed robots directly addressing this issue [2]. While their results are promising, the robot used is a custom robot designed specifically for this purpose, and can only handle lotion application, forgoing more fluid-like substances. We seek to achieve similar results with a more generic robot that is also capable of other activities, and is therefore more flexible.

[1] https://dermnetnz.org/topics/dry-skin

[2] Y. Tsumaki et al., "Development of a skincare robot," 2008 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, Pasadena, CA, USA, 2008, pp. 2963-2968, doi: 10.1109/ROBOT.2008.4543660.

Technical Specifications

The robot must be able to achieve the follow autonomously.

• Perception

  • Detect the designated exposed skin site (specified by user on app) for application of topical substance. It's position, surface area, and flatness/rotation are useful variables to know.

  • Perceive the specific-liquid type desired as the topical substance

  • Perceive the cloth or cotton to be used to apply topical substance.

  • Detect obstacles surrounding the person, such as a bed, a chair, a table, etc.

• Manipulation

  • Grab the cloth with the pincer arms, located near the base of the Stretch robot

  • Gently dip the cloth or cotton into a topical substance, located in a container near the base of the Stretch robot

    • May have to open a small seal/leaver mechanism

  • Extend/rotate arm towards user till it's near the exposed skin site

  • Gently rub the cloth over the application site

• Navigation

  • Move from a designated storage area to the patient and back (assume same room)

    • Navigate around obstacles while traveling

  • Face the designated user's exposed skin site

• Interaction

  • User has an app to specify the designated skin site to attend to, and confirm the robot should start attending to said site

  • User can terminate the robot's actions at any point (as a safeguard for pain, to use the robot for another task, etc.)

  • The robot communicates to the user (through the app) the estimated time till completion for cleaning a wound / rubbing lotion on one's back, and an estimated percentage of completed progress

  • If user can't utilize app mid-way to terminate robot, another individual is required to monitor and terminate the robot's behavior. 

  • Possible errors: robot is unable to pick up towel/cotton, no towel/cotton is available, robot misjudges surface area of skin site

• Environment

  • Add a 3d modeled part to the robot to hold the towels. And add a small 3d container (with sub-compartments) to hold the cotton and two liquid types

  • Ensure a generally clear area along the designated path between the robot and user

  • Use a towel with a distinct color to stand out from the environment