Pearl: A Mobile Robotic Assistant for the Elderly
The Nursebot project is a multi-disciplinary, multi-university effort aimed at developing mobile robotic assistants for the elderly. In this paper, we describe one such robot, Pearl. Pearl has two primary functions: (i) reminding people about routine activities such as eating, drinking, taking medicine, and using the bathroom, and (ii) guiding them through their environments. We provide a brief overview of the hardware platform, and we sketch the major software systems that enable Pearl to perform its two main functions. A prototype version of Pearl has been completely built, with all software implemented, and preliminary testing has been done at the Longwood Retirement Community in Oakmont, PA.