ICT-Supported Bath Robots: Design Concepts

Abstract. This paper presents the concept and the architecture of the I-SUPPORT service robotics system. The goal of the I-SUPPORT system is to support and en-hance older adults mobility, manipulation and force exertion abilities and assist them in successfully, safely and independently completing the entire sequence of showering tasks, such as properly washing their back, their upper parts, their lower limbs, their buttocks and groin, and to effectively use the towel for dry-ing purposes. Adaptation and integration of state-of-the-art, cost-effective, soft-robotic arms will provide the hardware constituents, which, together with ad-vanced human-robot force/compliance control will form the basis for a safe phys-ical human-robot interaction that complies with the most up-to-date safety stan-dards. Human behavioural, sociological, safety, ethical and acceptability aspects, as well as financial factors related to the proposed service robotics system will be thoroughly investigated and evaluated so that the I-SUPPORT end result is a close-to-market prototype, applicable to realistic living settings.