SBIR Phase I: Tele-Directed Artificially Intelligent Medical Robot

这个第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种新的人工智能（AI）机器人控制模式，以促进实时远程机器人技术和提高人类的机器人能力。该AI不断在机器人环境的背景下解释操作员的意图，并对机器人的运动进行实时调整，以完成预期的任务。最终，这允许操作员专注于目标，而不是操作机器人。该项目将使远程机器人成为不确定环境中的可行解决方案，传统的控制方案具有固有的延迟和精度问题，目前阻止采用机器人解决方案。这有利于那些需要更高程度的专业知识和决策才能在危险或无法进入的地方执行任务的应用。这项技术的首次应用将使护士能够在医院隔离环境中提供病人护理，以防止接触病人和护理人员。其他应用包括军事、工业维护、航空航天、公共安全、能源、采矿和海底解决方案。2019年，远程机器人市场规模达620亿美元，年增长率为13.5%。这一小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目提出在患者隔离环境中使用AI增强型机器人来解决护理危机。护士可以通过这些机器人的眼睛、耳朵和手臂立即工作，而不是拖延护理。第一阶段项目的关键创新是新型人工智能，它将直观地了解操作员成功完成任务的意图。建议的研究将开发一个机器人控制策略，观察机器人的当前环境以及用户的控制输入，并致动机器人，以实现所需的任务。机器人将通过对预期结果的理解来自我纠正用户所犯的错误。在第一阶段项目结束时，我们希望机器人能够在没有视线到工作区域的情况下由远程操作员控制，同时进行准确和及时的物体操作演示。在随后的阶段，最终的技术目标是让解决方案像现代智能手机一样直观和无价。与医疗保健系统合作开发的业务目标是提供更好的隔离患者结果，同时提高生产力并降低护士的健康风险。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Phase I project is to develop a novel artificial-intelligence (AI) robot-control paradigm to facilitate real-time tele-robotics and advance humankind’s robotic capability. This AI constantly interprets the intent of the operator in the context of the robot’s environment, and makes real-time adjustments to the motion of the robot to accomplish the intended task. Ultimately, this allows the operator to focus on the objective instead of operating the robot. This project will allow tele-robotics to become a viable solution in uncertain environments where traditional control schemes, with inherent latency and precision issues, currently prevent adoption of robotic solutions. This benefits applications in which a higher degree of expertise and decision-making is required to perform tasks in a dangerous or inaccessible location. The first application of this technology will allow nurses to provide patient care within hospital isolation environments to prevent exposure to the patient and care-providers. Additional applications include military, industrial maintenance, aerospace, public safety, energy, mining, and undersea solutions. Tele-robotics is a $62B market in 2019 growing by 13.5% annually.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to address the nursing crisis with an AI-enhanced robotic in patient-isolation environments. Instead of delaying care to don and doff personal-protective equipment, nurses can instantly work through the eyes, ears, and arms of these robots. The key innovation in this Phase I project is novel AI which will intuit the intent of the operator to successfully complete tasks. The proposed research will develop a robot control policy which observes the robot’s current environment as well as the users control inputs, and actuates a robot to achieve the desired task. The robot will self-correct for errors made by the user through an understanding of the desired outcomes. At the end of this Phase I project, we expect the robot to perform a demonstration of accurate and timely object manipulation while controlled by a remote operator without line of sight to the work area. In a subsequent phase, the ultimate technical objective is for the solution to be as intuitive and invaluable as a modern smartphone. The business objective, developed in partnership with healthcare systems, is to provide better isolation-patient outcomes while improving productivity and reducing health risk for nurses.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.