Affordable, accessible health care is in short supply in the U.S., due to the rapidly aging population; robotics can provide a solution to this problem. This project developed user requirements for a personal health care robot. From interviews with robotics professionals and focus groups with caregivers and the elderly, the team gained an understanding of potential users’ desired functionalities and acceptance of robots. The team developed a taxonomy to characterize robots’ interaction with users. The requirements generated by the studies were used in conjunction with this taxonomy to recommend a robot for use in personal health care. An in-home monitoring system was found to have the greatest potential to benefit the health care industry and the target demographic.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Im, Hosung
• Malehorn, Kevin
• Bzura, Conrad
• Liu, Wan

Subject

• Industry
• Innovation
• Health
• Well-Being
• Community

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-031312-040652

Keyword

• Robotics
• Medical care

Advisor

• Padir, Taskin
• Tulu, Bengisu

Year

• 2012

Date created

• 2012-03-13

Location

• Worcester

Resource type

• Interactive Qualifying Project

Rights statement

• In Copyright