Modular Robotic Assistant With Foldable Arm for Extended Reach
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current healthcare robots lack modularity and reachability, limiting their ability to perform end-to-end logistics tasks and adapt to various applications, such as elderly care and hospital settings, due to fixed storage containers and the absence of manipulators.
Innovation Solution
A robotic assistant with a wheeled base, foldable arm, and end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) that includes a modular storage unit and sensors, allowing for extended reach and adaptability in navigating and manipulating objects within healthcare facilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If fixed storage containers and trays are used in robotic assistants, then the robotic assistant can perform basic delivery tasks, but the robotic assistant lacks reachability and cannot extend beyond its basic physical footprint
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic assistant employs an articulated arm with multiple degrees of freedom that can dynamically extend and reposition beyond the base platform. This dynamic structure allows the arm to reach objects outside the robot's physical footprint while maintaining a compact form when retracted, resolving the contradiction between reachability and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic assistant adds vertical elevation capability through a lift mechanism, enabling the articulated arm to operate in three-dimensional space. This dimensional extension allows the robot to access objects at different heights and positions without proportionally increasing the base platform size, thereby improving reachability while controlling structural complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fixed storage containers are used in robotic assistants, then the robotic assistant can perform single tasks, but the robotic assistant cannot offer end-to-end logistics or adapt to different business application scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic assistant features a modular articulated arm system with interchangeable end-effectors and a configurable articulated arm storage system that can accommodate various container types. This universal design enables the same base platform to perform multiple tasks including delivery, retrieval, and end-to-end logistics across different healthcare settings without requiring complete redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic assistant is designed with modular components including separable storage containers, interchangeable end-effectors, and configurable articulated arm segments. This segmentation allows individual components to be replaced or reconfigured for different tasks, enhancing task adaptability while keeping the overall design complexity manageable through standardized interfaces.
3Adaptability or versatility
If non-modular designs are used in robotic assistants, then the robotic assistant has simpler design, but the robotic assistant cannot be repurposed for different business application scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic assistant employs standardized modular components with universal interfaces, including interchangeable end-effectors and configurable storage systems that can serve multiple business applications. This universality enables repurposing for different healthcare scenarios while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through repeated use of standardized parts and assembly procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic assistant includes a wheeled base, a storage unit including drawers, a foldable arm connected to a top of the storage unit and including an end of arm tooling (EOAT) connected to a distal end of the foldable arm, an elevation mechanism positioned on the wheeled base and used to move the storage unit up and down, and a control system that receives command instructions. In response to the command instructions, the control system is configured to move the wheeled base, open or close the one or more drawers, actuate movement of the foldable arm and the EOAT to pick up and place external objects from/to a determined location, and control the storage unit to move up/down.