Towards Effective, Safe, and Affordable Robots for Assisting People at Home and Work

对于诸如辅助老年人和残疾人、康复、农业以及辅助工厂工人的应用，存在对负担得起的机器人的未满足的需求，特别是机器人臂，其可以在接近或直接接触人时安全地操作。也许加拿大对这项技术的最大需求将是帮助家中的老年人。根据Mark Gollom撰写的2017年CBC新闻文章，到2026年，家庭护理需求预计将以每年3.1%的速度增长，而家庭护理人员每年仅增长1%。文章指出，“技术，包括机器人和人工智能，可以帮助老年居民，将需要发挥重要作用。“目前提供所需功能和安全性的机器人手臂是负担不起的（成本为5万美元或更多）。其高价格的主要原因之一是用于移动关节的致动器。 该研究计划的长期愿景是创造知识和技术，使机器人能够在日常生活的许多方面帮助人们，无论是在家里还是在工作中。这些机器人必须能够控制它们携带的物体的位置，以及它们施加在物体上的力。后者是执行工作任务所必需的，例如帮助组装易碎部件，或帮助准备饭菜（例如切西红柿）的家庭任务。我们的长期目标是：用安全和负担得起的替代品取代现有的机器人驱动器;开发节能的机器人，足够轻，易于运输;开发有效控制这些机器人的硬件方法和软件算法。 在接下来的5年里，该研究计划将专注于开发新型机器人执行器，这些执行器成本低，重量轻，功能强大，精确，即使传感器出现故障也安全。我们将通过将我们的气动执行器与小型快速电动机相结合来实现这一目标，气动执行器可以提升超过自身重量的100倍。我们将开发制造我们的气动执行器的改进方法。然后，我们将开发用于优化致动器的设计的方法，以及由这些致动器提供动力的机器人手臂，以更好地执行并使用更少的能量。我们还将开发用于控制新执行器和机器人手臂的数学模型和软件算法。原型机器人手臂将进行常见家庭和工作任务的测试，例如从满壶牛奶中搬运和倾倒牛奶。四个博士学生，四个硕士研究生和五个本科生将在这个研究计划中进行培训。他们将接受机器人，设计，制造，建模和控制系统方面的专业培训，这将使他们在未来的职业生涯中受益。在未来15年或20年内，预计这项研究计划和相关研究计划将导致负担得起的机器人有效地帮助人们在家庭和工作中。

For applications such as assisting older adults and people with disabilities, rehabilitation, agriculture, and assisting factory workers, there is a unmet need for affordable robots, and robot arms in particular, that can operate safely when close to, or in direct contact with, people. Perhaps the greatest need for this technology in Canada will be to assist seniors at home. According to a 2017 CBC News article written by Mark Gollom, the demand for home care is projected to grow by 3.1%/year until 2026, while home care workers will only increase by 1%/year. The article states that "technology, including robotics and artificial intelligence that can aid senior residents, will need to play a significant role." Currently available robot arms that provide the required functionality and safety are not affordable (costing $50K or more). One of main reasons for their high price is the actuators used to move their joints.     The long-term vision of this research program is to create knowledge and technologies enabling robots to help people in many aspects of their daily lives, whether at home or at work. These robots must be capable of controlling the positions of the objects they carry, and the forces they apply to objects. The latter is necessary for performing work tasks such as helping to assemble fragile parts, or home tasks such as helping to prepare a meal (e.g. slicing a tomato). Our long-term goals are to: replace the existing robot actuators with safe and affordable alternatives; develop robots that are energy efficient, and light enough to be easily transported; and develop hardware methods and software algorithms for effectively controlling these robots.     Over the next 5 years the research program will focus on developing novel robot actuators that are low cost, lightweight, powerful, precise, and safe even if a sensor fails. We will accomplish this by combining our pneumatic actuator that can lift over 100 times its own weight with a small and fast-acting electric motor. We will develop improved methods for fabricating our pneumatic actuator. We will then develop methods for optimizing the designs of the actuator, and of a robot arm powered by these actuators, to perform better and use less energy. We will also develop mathematical models and software algorithms for controlling the new actuators and robot arm. The prototype robot arms will be tested with common home and work tasks, e.g. carrying and pouring from a full jug of milk. Four Ph.D. students, four Master's students and five undergraduate students will be trained in this research program. They will receive specialized training in robotics, design, manufacturing, modelling and control systems that will benefit them in their future careers. In the next 15 or 20 years it is expected that this research program, and related research programs, will lead to affordable robots effective at helping people both at home and work.