Monday, January 28, 2019
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ARIES - Affordable Robotic Intelligence for Elderly Support
Bertram F. Malle
Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, & Psychological Sciences
Humanity-Centered Robotics Initiative
Brown University
Providence, RI
Interdisciplinary Team
- Behavioral Science and Design
- Bertram Malle, CLPS Brown; Claudia Rébola, University of Cincinnati
- Computer Science and Robotics
- Michael Littman, CS Brown, Peter Haas, HCRI Brown
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
- Gary Epstein-Lubow, Hebrew Senior Life, Boston, MA
- Michael Armey, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI
- Ageless Innovation ( <== Hasbro)
- Andrew Jeas
- Ted Fischer
Aims
- Aims
- Not an intervention to combat dementia
- An intervention to support individuals with the challenges of aging, with or without dementia.
- Not to replace health-care professionals or family members
- A technology that helps lighten the burden on family members and the healthcare system.
- Affordable assistance with small but challenging tasks of daily living; connecting with friends and family; and relieving agitation and loneliness.
- Not a robot server, therapist, entertainer
- But a comforting and understandable robot companion.
Starting Point:
 |
Existing Strengths
- Comforting, familiar, non-threatening
- Creating limited expectations
- Affordable (~$100)
New Intelligence
- Perception, memory, nonverbal communication
- tracking of lost objects, helping find them
- fall detection, medication reminders, social contact reminders, vitals or other behavioral data...
Project Components
- Project Components
- Use behavioral science methods
- To assess older adults' major challenges of daily living with which a small, affordable robotic system can assist.
- Apply inclusive design principles and cutting-edge computer science
- To alleviate help some of these challenges.
- Use a systematic, longitudinal assessment of the developed system
- To establish safety, efficacy, and acceptability for older people with or without cognitive impairments.
Challenges Assessment
- In-person standardized interviews Independent living facilities; starting in memory care facility
- Online survey with representative samples
- Small-sample longitudinal study
- With care recipients as well as for informal caregivers
Preliminary Results (50 healthy adults > 65)
| Top 5 Challenges | Top 6 Adoption Reasons |
|---|---|
| Difficulties with technology (e.g., cell phone, computer, TV remote) | Measuring vitals (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure) |
| Difficulties with misplacing or losing things (e.g., glasses, keys, phone, wallet). | Locating lost objects (e.g., keys, reading glasses, wallet) |
| Difficulties moving myself from seated to standing position or getting in/out bed | Detecting falls and calling for help in medical emergencies |
| Difficulties with my moods, with keeping a positive outlook | Playing cognitive games for cognitive health |
| Difficulties with speech and language (e.g., speaking clearly, finding the right words, holding a conversation) | Reminders of medication, appointments, exercise, etc. |
| Connecting with friends and family |
Technical Elements
- Detailed analysis of existing pet companion
- Enhancing sensors, information processing and storage
- Infrared +
- Edge processing (smart phone, hub)
- Enhancing movement for communication
- Test possible "vocabularies" (paw, head, sounds...)
- Software development
- Learning objects and locations through encounters
- Respond to inquiry ("where are my glasses?")
- Locate objects
- Guide care recipient to lost object