HONG KONG – Researchers in Japan unveiled a robot yesterday that can lift a patient weighing up to 80kg (176lbs) off the floor and onto a wheelchair, an innovation they say will free healthcare workers from the back-breaking task.
In elderly facilities in Japan, where rapid ageing of its society is expected to weigh on the economy, staff are required to lift residents from the floor onto a wheelchair about 40 times a day, a task that is both difficult and energy-consuming.
Nicknamed Riba 2, the robot is soft to the touch – so it won’t hurt a person – moves on wheels and responds to voice commands.
Built with rubber sensors, springs and improved joints at its base and lower back, it can crouch and lift a patient off a futon, a traditional mat placed on the floor.
“It can pick a person up from the floor onto a wheelchair or a bed. The earlier robot could only lift 60kg,” said Shijie Guo, leader of the Robot Implementation Research Team.
The team is jointly made up of experts from Riken, a natural sciences research institute in Japan, and Tokai Rubber Industries.
“Normally, to crouch and lift requires a huge motor, which would give us a huge robot. But with this robot, we used a spring,” Mr Guo said by telephone.
The project was funded by the Japanese government and Tokai, and the creators hope to commercialise the robot, at a time when more resources are needed to cope with challenges posed by ageing populations around the world. – (Reuters)