Sep 27 2010
Panasonic Corporation has declared the release of a hair-washing robot and a Roboticbed. These robots provide a secure and comfortable life for those with limited mobility and also for aged people.
The archetypes of these robots will be unveiled at the 37th International Home Care & Rehabilitation Exhibition (H.C.R.) 2010, which will be conducted at the Tokyo Big Sight, between September 29 and October 1 2010.
The Robotic bed has been designed in such a way that it can be used as an electric care assistance bed as well as a wheel chair. The archetype of this bed was showcased at last year’s H.C.R exhibition. Current year’s H.C.R will feature the updated version of this bed.
In order to employ the robots in day-to-day activities, Panasonic has been creating various safety technologies and directions, under a project which is supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), a Japan-based administrative organization.
The docking and undocking of the wheelchair from the Roboticbed has been made a much smoother operation. Also the structure of the bed has been made simple by altering its parts and also by bringing down the number of motors. The features like Voice guidance and LED lights will inform the ideal time to undock the wheelchair. The other features of the Roboticbed include additional wheels and pneumatic support.
The hair-washing robot will help the caregivers at hospitals by giving a perfect hair wash to their patients. The robot hand technology of Panasonic guides the 16 fingers of the robot which have the same agility as human fingers. The two hands of the robot move and carry out a three-dimensional examination of the person's head for measuring its shape and also to exert the right amount of pressure while washing and rinsing. Each arm features power detection sensors and three motors, enabling the robot to control its swaying, pressing and massaging movements. The robot also records every user’s head shape and their favored massage course.
Source: http://panasonic.net/