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)机器人控制范例，以促进实时远程机器人技术和提高人类的机器人能力。这种人工智能不断地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技术在不确定的环境中成为一种可行的解决方案，在这种环境中，由于固有的延迟和精度问题，传统的控制方案目前阻碍了机器人解决方案的采用。这有利于在危险或难以接近的地点执行任务需要更高专业知识和决策能力的应用程序。这项技术的首次应用将允许护士在医院隔离环境中提供患者护理，以防止接触到患者和护理人员。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。远程机器人是2019年价值620亿美元的市场，年增长率为13.5%。这个小企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目建议在患者隔离环境中使用人工智能增强型机器人来解决护理危机。护士可以立即通过这些机器人的眼睛、耳朵和手臂进行工作，而不是推迟护理穿戴和脱下个人防护装备。这个第一阶段项目的关键创新是新型人工智能，它将直觉操作员成功完成任务的意图。所提出的研究将开发一种机器人控制策略，该策略观察机器人当前的环境以及用户的控制输入，并驱动机器人完成期望的任务。机器人将通过理解期望的结果来自我纠正用户所犯的错误。在这个第一阶段项目结束时，我们希望机器人在没有视线进入工作区域的情况下，在远程操作员的控制下，执行准确和及时的对象操作演示。在接下来的阶段，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在提高工作效率和降低护士的健康风险的同时，提供更好的隔离患者结果。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.