HoLLiECares - Development of a multi-functional robot for professional care

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Robotics
• Human-Robot Interaction
• Assistive Technologies

Background:

• Germany's healthcare sector faces a significant nursing staff shortage.
• Robotic systems are underutilized in the care sector compared to other medical fields.
• There is a need for innovative solutions to support nursing staff and maintain quality care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a multi-functional service robot (HoLLiE) for hospital applications.
• To implement advanced features for logistics, patient interaction, and documentation.
• To assess the feasibility and challenges of integrating robots into nursing workflows.

Main Methods:

• Further development of the HoLLiE service robot platform.
• Implementation of non-rigid object handling, wheelchair motion planning, and haptic patient support.
• Integration of optical recognition for exercises and automated speech recognition.
• Field testing in two hospital environments to evaluate performance and user acceptance.

Main Results:

• The HoLLiE robot demonstrated capability in performing transport, logistics, interactive assistance, and documentation tasks.
• Field tests indicated that robots can effectively take over or support specific nursing-related activities.
• Robots are limited in providing the empathy and affection crucial for nursing care.

Conclusions:

• Robotic platforms like HoLLiE show potential for supporting healthcare professionals and improving efficiency.
• Careful consideration must be given to task selection for robotic implementation in nursing.
• Key challenges remain in multi-functional integration, usability, object grasping, and meeting healthcare's formal requirements (safety, data protection).