[Structural design and performance analysis of an auxiliary dining robot].

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• The increasing demand for specialized assistive equipment in healthcare necessitates innovative solutions for patient care.
• Traditional feeding assistance methods can be labor-intensive and may not cater to all individual needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop an auxiliary dining robot capable of performing humanoid feeding functions.
• To address the need for advanced auxiliary nursing equipment in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• Simulated human arm motion using a multi-jointed manipulator.
• Incorporated a motor-driven spoon as the end-effector for feeding actions.
• Utilized an eye-in-hand vision system for autonomous operation.
• Optimized spatial movement flexibility with a minimal degree of freedom (DOF) configuration.
• Analyzed structural integrity and stress distribution for the robot's design.

Main Results:

• The dining robot successfully simulated human feeding actions.
• The eye-in-hand system enabled automatic feeding with simulated human vision.
• The robot demonstrated comprehensive feeding and drinking capabilities with flexible spatial movement.
• Structural analysis confirmed the robot's design for specific application scenarios.
• Simulation results validated high workspace flexibility with the lowest DOF configuration.

Conclusions:

• The developed auxiliary dining robot effectively meets the demand for specialized nursing equipment.
• The robot's design, based on TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving), offers a flexible and efficient solution for assisted feeding.
• The low DOF configuration contributes to the robot's adaptability and performance in various scenarios.