Development of a Compliant Gripper for Safe Robot-Assisted Trouser Dressing-Undressing

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel compliant gripper integrated into a robotic system designed to assist elderly and hemiplegic individuals with trouser dressing and undressing, emphasizing safety, precision, and high success rates.

Contribution

It introduces a new compliant gripper tailored for assistive dressing tasks, addressing safety and effectiveness in confined spaces for elderly care.

Findings

Successful assistance in trouser dressing and undressing

High success rate in confined space operations

Demonstrated safety and compliance in manipulation

Abstract

In recent years, many countries, including Japan, have rapidly aging populations, making the preservation of seniors' quality of life a significant concern. For elderly people with impaired physical abilities, support for toileting is one of the most important issues. This paper details the design, development, experimental assessment, and potential application of the gripper system, with a focus on the unique requirements and obstacles involved in aiding elderly or hemiplegic individuals in dressing and undressing trousers. The gripper we propose seeks to find the right balance between compliance and grasping forces, ensuring precise manipulation while maintaining a safe and compliant interaction with the users. The gripper's integration into a custom--built robotic manipulator system provides a comprehensive solution for assisting hemiplegic individuals in their dressing and undressing tasks. Experimental evaluations and comparisons with existing studies demonstrate the gripper's ability to successfully assist in both dressing and dressing of trousers in confined spaces with a high success rate. This research contributes to the advancement of assistive robotics, empowering elderly, and physically impaired individuals to maintain their independence and improve their quality of life.