Mobile Infant Cradle Control for Automated Soothing and Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cradle systems are fixed in place, limiting the mobility of caregivers and requiring continuous rocking to help infants fall asleep, which can lead to caregiver fatigue and reduced flexibility in infant care.
Innovation Solution
A mobile infant care device equipped with a carrier, driving wheels, a monitoring system, a communication system, and a controller that allows for wireless communication, monitoring of infant state, and automated movement to designated positions, enhancing caregiver mobility and infant care efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a cradle is fixed to a specific place, then the infant can be safely cared for, but the caregiver cannot move freely and must remain at the fixed position
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle is transformed from a static fixed structure to a dynamic mobile system with driving wheels and motor-driven movement capabilities, allowing the cradle to change position automatically while maintaining stable infant care functions throughout the movement process
2Reliability
If a person continuously rocks the cradle to help the infant sleep, then the infant can maintain a comfortable state, but the person may hurt their arms and become exhausted
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle system performs self-rocking through integrated motors and actuators that automatically generate gentle rocking motions, eliminating the need for continuous manual rocking by caregivers while maintaining the soothing effect needed for infant sleep
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical rocking by human arms is replaced with an automated mechanical system comprising motors, gears, and oscillating mechanisms that provide consistent, controlled rocking motions without human physical involvement
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional cradles are fixed in place, then the structure is simple and stable, but the caregiver must deviate from fixed positions to care for infants
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle system integrates multiple functions including automated rocking, mobile movement, environmental monitoring sensors, and communication capabilities into a single unified platform, allowing it to adapt to various care scenarios without requiring multiple separate devices
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with an embodiment, a mobile infant care device includes a carrier having an inner space configured to hold an infant positioned therein, and driving wheels provided at a lower part of the carrier; a monitoring system affixed to the carrier and configured to monitor a state of the infant positioned in the inner space of the carrier; a driving system coupled to the driving wheels, the driving system configured to move a position of the carrier by driving the driving wheels; a communication system configured to wirelessly transmit a monitoring result of the monitoring system to a user terminal device or to wirelessly receive an operation input from the user terminal device; and a controller configured to cause the driving system to move the carrier based on the monitoring result of the monitoring system or the operation input received through the communication system.