THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER NEWLY AVAILABLE ROBOT TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED TO FACILITATE THE SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS LIVING AT HOME.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER NEWLY AVAILABLE ROBOT TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED TO FACILITATE THE SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS LIVING AT HOME. TWO ""PERSONAL HEALTH AND SECURITY ROBOT'' (PHASER) UNITS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED USING STATE-OF-THE-ART SENSORS, A VOICE SYNTHESIS AND RECOGNITION SYSTEM, A ROBOT ARM, AN OMNIDIRECTIONAL BASE, AND ENHANCED COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. THE ROBOT WILL MANAGE DAILY ACTIVITIES FOR THE CLIENT, INCLUDING REMINDERS OF WHEN TO EAT, SLEEP, AND ATTEND TO PERSONAL HYGIENE. EACH PHASER UNIT WILL BE TESTED IN THE HOMES OF SEVERAL ELDERLY CLIENTS TO DETERMINE THE UNIT'S EFFECTIVENESS IN PROVIDING SIMPLE ASSISTANCE IN DAILY TASKS. THE PHASER UNIT WOULD BE USED TO SUPPLEMENT AT LEAST SOME OF THE DAILY VISITS BY HOMEMAKERS AND/OR HOME HEALTH AIDES, THEREBY ALLOWING THOSE AIDES TO SERVE A LARGER NUMBER OF CLIENTS. AMONG THE OUTCOMES OF THE PROJECT ARE A SET OF SPECIALIZED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR THE PHASER, AN ESTIMATE OF THE PRODUCTION COST AND POTENTIAL MARKET DEMAND FOR THE UNITS, AND AN ESTIMATE OF THE POSSIBLE COST SAVINGS IN STAFF TIME PER CLIENT. THE POTENTIAL BENEFICIARIES FROM THIS PROJECT WILL BE THOSE ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS WHO COULD LIVE INDEPENDENTLY AT HOME IF THEY RECEIVED MINIMUM LEVELS OF OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE.