EPISODE · Aug 23, 2015 · 30 MIN
TC 267: Robots for Humanity
from Transformation Cafe · host Transformation Cafe
In this episode of the Transformation Cafe podcast, host Robin Masiewicz and Cafe regular Gloria discuss how robots are helping quadriplegics perform tasks, and how therapeutic robots are being used to treat patients with Alzheimer's.An assistive robot is a device that can sense, process sensory information, and perform actions that benefit people with disabilities and seniors.These robots may be fixed (next to a bedside for example) or mobile.In the video below, Steve Cousins talks about the Robots for Humanity Project, a collaboration between Willow Garage, the Healthcare Robotics Lab at Georgia Tech (http://www.hsi.gatech.edu/hrl/) led by Charlie Kemp, the Man and Machines Group at Oregon State led by Bill Smart, and Henry and Jane Evans.Ask a man in solitary confinement if he wants just an hour of freedom a day. I tell you, he will live for it. Robots are my freedom.– Henry Evans (Forbes, Dec 13, 2012)The PR2 robot and other assistive machines being developed can make a huge impact on people like Henry. PR2 combines the mobility to navigate human environments and the dexterity to grasp and manipulate objects in those environments. Controlling the robot provides a sense of freedom and accomplishment. For most men, a simple task like shaving is a mundane chore. Henry was very happy when he learned how to shave himself using the robot to hold the razor.Using a Texai remote presence device developed by Willow Garage, Henry is able to tell his story at the TEDxMidAtlantic conference. Henry has also learned how to fly a small quadrotor drone, so he can once again navigate through space, looking through his garden, and exploring other places outside.Therapeutic RobotsRobin discusses robots like Paro, a little robot that resembles a baby seal. These cute and cuddly robots are used to help treat patients with dementia. They have embedded sensors that let them respond to touch and to voices. Check out this article (http://www.thestar.com/life/breakingthrough/2014/06/09/robot_gets_seal_of_approval.html)from the Toronto Star on how Paro has been shown to have a calming effect on patients with dementia, and how in many ways a robot can be even better than a therapy pet.(http://transformation-cafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/paro1.jpg)According to the Paro (http://www.parorobots.com/index.asp)website:Unlike industrial robots, “Mental Commitment Robots” are developed to interact with human beings and to make them feel emotional attachment to the robots. Rather than using objective measures, these robots trigger more subjective evaluations, evoking psychological impressions such as “cuteness” and comfort. Mental Commitment Robots are designed to provide 3 types of effects: psychological, such as relaxation and motivation, physiological, such as improvement in vital signs, and social effects such as instigating communication among inpatients and caregivers.Resources:Willow GarageHealthcare Robotics Lab at Georgia Tech - http://www.hsi.gatech.edu/hrl/ (http://www.hsi.gatech.edu/hrl/)News Medical article: Animal Robots for Dementia Treatment (http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130405/Animal-robots-for-dementia-treatment-an-interview-with-Professor-Wendy-Moyle-Griffith-University.aspx)
What this episode covers
In this episode of the Transformation Cafe podcast, host Robin Masiewicz and Cafe regular Gloria discuss how robots are helping quadriplegics perform tasks, and how therapeutic robots are being used to treat patients with Alzheimer's.An assistive robot is a device that can sense, process sensory information, and perform actions that benefit people with disabilities and seniors.These robots may be fixed (next to a bedside for example) or mobile.In the video below, Steve Cousins talks about the Robots for Humanity Project, a collaboration between Willow Garage, the Healthcare Robotics Lab at Georgia Tech (http://www.hsi.gatech.edu/hrl/) led by Charlie Kemp, the Man and Machines Group at Oregon State led by Bill Smart, and Henry and Jane Evans.Ask a man in solitary confinement if he wants just an hour of freedom a day. I tell you, he will live for it. Robots are my freedom.– Henry Evans (Forbes, Dec 13, 2012)The PR2 robot and other assistive machines being developed can make a huge impact on people like Henry. PR2 combines the mobility to navigate human environments and the dexterity to grasp and manipulate objects in those environments. Controlling the robot provides a sense of freedom and accomplishment. For most men, a simple task like shaving is a mundane chore. Henry was very happy when he learned how to shave himself using the robot to hold the razor.Using a Texai remote presence device developed by Willow Garage, Henry is able to tell his story at the TEDxMidAtlantic conference. Henry has also learned how to fly a small quadrotor drone, so he can once again navigate through space, looking through his garden, and exploring other places outside.Therapeutic RobotsRobin discusses robots like Paro, a little robot that resembles a baby seal. These cute and cuddly robots are used to help treat patients with dementia. They have embedded sensors that let them respond to touch and to voices. Check out this article (http://www.thestar.com/life/breakingthrough/2014/06/09/robot_gets_seal_of_approval.html)from the Toronto Star on how Paro has been shown to have a calming effect on patients with dementia, and how in many ways a robot can be even better than a therapy pet.(http://transformation-cafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/paro1.jpg)According to the Paro (http://www.parorobots.com/index.asp)website:Unlike industrial robots, “Mental Commitment Robots” are developed to interact with human beings and to make them feel emotional attachment to the robots. Rather than using objective measures, these robots trigger more subjective evaluations, evoking psychological impressions such as “cuteness” and comfort. Mental Commitment Robots are designed to provide 3 types of effects: psychological, such as relaxation and motivation, physiological, such as improvement in vital signs, and social effects such as instigating communication among inpatients and caregivers.Resources:Willow GarageHealthcare Robotics Lab at Georgia Tech - http://www.hsi.gatech.edu/hrl/ (http://www.hsi.gatech.edu/hrl/)News Medical article: Animal Robots for Dementia Treatment (<a href="http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130405/Animal-robots-for-dementia-treatment-an-interview-with-Professor-Wendy-Moyle-Griffith-University.aspx)"...
NOW PLAYING
TC 267: Robots for Humanity
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Feb 8, 2026 ·26m