Service Robot Movement Pattern Capture for Rehabilitation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The healthcare system faces a shortage of skilled workers, leading to inadequate therapy and care, which results in prolonged suffering, secondary illnesses, and increased healthcare costs. Additionally, there is a need to document patient conditions to defend against claims for damages attributed to inadequate therapy.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a service robot equipped with sensors to detect and analyze movement patterns of patients during rehabilitation. The robot compares the detected movements with stored patterns and provides feedback to patients on improving their movement patterns, thereby supporting movement therapy and reducing the workload of therapeutic staff.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If therapists manually assess and document patient movement patterns, then individualized care and immediate feedback are provided, but the workload of therapeutic staff increases and standardized assessment becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing the robot to autonomously capture movement patterns, create skeleton models, compute movement parameters, and generate assessments without requiring therapist intervention for each measurement task
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual therapist assessment with an automated optical-mechanical system using cameras, sensors, and computer vision algorithms to capture and analyze movement patterns
2Reliability
If more therapists are assigned to provide adequate therapy and documentation, then patient care quality improves, but healthcare costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the therapist's assessment function through the robot, which can replicate and standardize movement analysis without requiring additional human therapists
Solution Approach 2:
The robot performs multiple functions including movement capture, skeleton model creation, movement computation, error detection, and documentation, replacing what would otherwise require multiple specialized staff members
3Productivity
If therapists focus on repetitive training tasks, then therapeutic training frequency increases, but time available for other patient care activities decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot independently performs movement capture and analysis during training sessions without requiring therapist time, allowing therapists to focus on higher-level care decisions
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables continuous monitoring and feedback during training sessions, maintaining therapeutic quality without interrupting the training flow for therapist assessment
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method for capturing a movement pattern of a person. The method comprises capturing a plurality of images of the person executing a movement pattern by means of a non-contact sensor, the plurality of images representing the movements of the body elements of the person, generating at least one skeleton model having limb positions for at least some of the plurality of images, and calculating the movement pattern from the movements of the body elements of the person by comparing changes in the limb positions in the at least one skeleton model generated.