Autonomous Bedside Wheelchair Positioning for Patient Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients in medical facilities who cannot walk require assistance to move from their beds to nearby movable bodies like wheelchairs, placing a burden on both the patient and caregivers, as existing systems do not efficiently reduce the workload or ensure safe transfer without manual intervention.
Innovation Solution
A movable body control system that integrates a support device, such as a bed, with a movable body, utilizing a body detection device, periphery monitor, and determination module to autonomously guide the movable body to the patient, reducing the need for human assistance and ensuring safe transfer by aligning seating heights and creating a recessed edge for stable boarding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the movable body is manually moved to the patient by another person, then the patient can be assisted to transfer, but the workload of another person increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing the movable body to autonomously navigate to the patient's bedside and position itself for transfer without requiring another person to physically move it. The autonomous navigation and positioning functions allow the device to serve itself in terms of relocation, reducing the need for manual assistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system of another person physically moving the movable body with an autonomous control system that uses sensors, processors, and actuators to navigate and position the movable body automatically at the patient's bedside.
2Ease of operation
If the patient determines space availability and calls the movable body, then the movable body can be summoned, but the burden on the patient increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from sensors that detect the patient's presence, posture, and environmental conditions to automatically determine when the patient needs assistance and whether the environment is suitable for transfer, eliminating the need for the patient to manually assess these conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable body performs self-monitoring and autonomous decision-making by detecting patient status and environmental conditions, then automatically initiating the approach sequence without requiring the patient to call or determine space availability manually.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the movable body waits at a position away from the patient, then space requirements are maintained, but assistance from another person is required for transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The movable body performs preliminary actions by autonomously navigating to the patient's bedside and positioning itself in the optimal location before the transfer process begins. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for another person to assist with the actual transfer while maintaining safe operational distances when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the movable body's position based on real-time conditions - remaining at a distance when not needed to avoid obstruction, then autonomously moving close to the patient when transfer is required, optimizing both space utilization and transfer assistance.
4Extent of automation
If autonomous control is implemented, then manual assistance is reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous control system is designed with multi-functionality, using a integrated control unit that handles navigation, positioning, patient detection, environmental monitoring, and transfer coordination through a unified control architecture, reducing overall system complexity despite the extensive automation capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A movable body control system includes: a movable body on which a user is capable of riding; a support device that supports a body of the user in a lying posture; a body detection device that detects a state of the user supported by the support device; a periphery monitor device that monitors a periphery of the support device; and a determination part that determines whether or not the movable body is capable of approaching the support device based on a detection result of the periphery monitor device. In the movable body control system, in a case where the body detection device detects that the user is in a predetermined state and the determination part determines that the movable body is capable of approaching the support device, the movable body approaches the support device.