An Advanced Medical Robotic System Augmenting Healthcare Capabilities

During Phase II period, Hstar plan to prototype an advanced mobile robotic nurse assistant (RoNA) system for augmenting nurses’ health care capabilities in a hospital environment with physical assistance. This RoNA system will: a) navigate intelligently in hospital environments with a mobile holonomic drive, b) support an intuitive interface guided by human-robot interaction and work safely and robustly, c) perform well in direct control by the nurse and via telepresence operation, and d) provide dexterous manipulation and sufficient strength to lift/ move patients and heavy loads (up to 300lbs). No robotic system currently exists that would meet all of these needs. Hstar will develop an enhanced Series Elastic Actuator based humanoid upper torso that is capable of advanced dexterous manipulation and patient lifting, haptic feedback and natural human-robot interaction. Our innovations in the RoNA system include a local autonomous navigation and stable zero-moment-point (ZMP) control. Hstar enhances Segway’s four-wheel mobile robotic platform RMP400 with holonomic drive using omnidirectional wheel technology. Our telepresence operation and direct human robot interaction control will provide safe and robust operation in hospital environments. Upon completion of the RoNA system development Hstar will validate the system functions and develop patient lifting procedures.