Robotic Assistance During Ambulation by Older Adults
AbstractSomeolder adults require assistance withambulationdue to physical mobility limitations. Others lack thecognitive ability, either alone or in combination withphysical impairment, to get where they need to go.Investigation of older adults' gait speed, socialinteraction, and responsiveness to a robot duringambulation is part ofthe Nursebot Project, a uniquecollaboration of health care professionals andtechnologists focused on developing a personalrobotic assistant for frail elderlyadultsathome."Pearl,"theNursebotprototypeDescriptionoftheProject Self-reported walking ability may be the bestindicator of functional mobility and performance ofactivities of daily living among older adults in the community. ' Theimportance of walking as a formofexercise andameans by whichto connectwithotherswarrants efforts to design a robotic device that, amongother functions, encourages social interactionand safe ambulation in a vulnerable and largely sedentary population. TheNursebot Project involvesclinicians and researchers from the University ofPittsburgh,