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Completed

NCT Number: NCT02807506

Affordable Mobile Robots for the Elderly

This project develops and tests the use of service robots to track health of the elderly over time. The objectives are to develop a low-cost mobile manipulator capable of a limited set of elder- relevant manipulation tasks (e.g. picking up dropped items). The investigators will visualize and model the use of the service robot during deployments at an elder care facility. Feedback from focus groups with elders and clinicians will inform the necessary engineering innovation.

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Key information

Conditions

Aging Brain Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cerebrovascular Disorders Nervous System Diseases Stroke Vascular Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Mercy Living Independently for Elders (L.I.F.E) - West Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19145, United States

About this study

The goal is to develop in three stages a new affordable robot with the participation of Living Independently for Elders (LIFE) members and clinicians. The robot will be developed by a multidisciplinary team headed by Dr. Yim at University of Pennsylvania (UPENN) (PI), Dr. Tessa Lau at Savioke Corp, and Drs. Johnson and Cacchionne at UPENN PM&R and UPENN Nursing, respectively. The aim is to build a low-cost robot platform that will focus on the simple, but key, repetitive, data-driven tasks that robots do well. Rather than attempt to create a robot helper that mimics humans, the aim is to free human caregivers from the time-consuming tasks that robots can accomplish with facility, thereby allowing humans to focus on tasks that humans do best (i.e. human contact). Participatory reviews of the developed prototypes will be completed at each stage (each year) with the LIFE members and clinicians. There are three research questions the investigators hope to answer all while building an effective system to synergistically satisfy the business needs:

R1) Although activities of daily living (ADLs) for elder health have previously been documented and categorized, no research has been done to characterize them from the perspective of their feasibility of automation using an affordable mobile manipulation robot. How can known ADLs be characterized according to how much they would benefit from robotic assistance given varying levels of robot capabilities (mobility, limited manipulation, full manipulation)?

R2) A manipulator arm must be safe, affordable, and performant enough to assist in ADLs for elder heath. What new breakthroughs are required to develop new manipulation technology that satisfies these constraints?

R3) A data-driven service robotics What are the concomitant key usability and acceptance of service features required system has the potential to affect elder health in a positive way. How can predictive service robotics best be used to maintain and improve elder health? Which specific robot behaviors have the most impact on elders' well-being?

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Elders, age 55 and older,who are members of Living Independently For Elders (LIFE) run by the University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing and their caregivers.
  • Elders at Kearsley or Mercy Douglas who are 62 years and older, in imminent risk of a nursing home placement, attends LIFE center daily (day program), able to have activities of daily living (ADL) needs met by caregivers, able to pay required rent for apartment, and able to function safely in community with other elders.
  • Savioke may conduct additional focus groups at The Forum at Rancho San Antonio a Continuing Care Retirement Community located in Silicon Valley.
  • Clinicians will be recruited from the clinical staff working at LIFE, Kearsley, and Mercy Douglas which consists of primary care physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, licensed social workers, and physical and occupational therapists.
  • Caregivers will be recruited from the clinical staff working at LIFE, Kearsley, and Mercy Douglas which consists of certified nursing assistants (CNAs).

Exclusion criteria

  • Unable to cognitively give consent
  • Unable to understand the study or refuse to comply with procedures

Treatment and study plan

Mobile Service Robot

Device

The goal is to build a low-cost mobile service robot with an arm that will focus on the simple, but key, repetitive, data-driven tasks that robots do well. Rather than attempt to create a robot helper that mimics humans, the goal is to free human caregivers from the time-consuming tasks that robots can accomplish with facility, thereby allowing humans to focus on tasks that humans do best (i.e. human contact).

Survey

Other

Observe Elders, Clinicians and Caregiver's survey, interview and observational responses to stage-wise experimental deployments of a mobile service robot.

Primary outcomes

  1. Usability Scale for Deployment 1

    Time frame: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Usability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Usability survey scored from 0 to 100, with 100 being the most favorable response. A number greater than 68 is good.

  2. Usability Scale for Deployment 2

    Time frame: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Usability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Usability survey scored out of 7. Users ranked tasks on a scale of 1-7, 7 being very usable.

  3. Sociability Scale for Deployment 1

    Time frame: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Sociability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Sociability survey scored from 0 to 100, with 100 being the most favorable response. A number greater than 68 is good.

  4. Sociability Scale for Deployment 2

    Time frame: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Sociability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Sociability survey scored out of 7. Users ranked tasks on a scale of 1-7, 7 being very usable.

  5. Acceptability Scale for Deployment 1

    Time frame: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Acceptability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Acceptability survey scored from 0 to 100, with 100 being the most favorable response. A number greater than 68 is good.

  6. Acceptability Scale for Deployment 2

    Time frame: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Acceptability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Acceptability survey scored out of 7. Users ranked tasks on a scale of 1-7, 7 being very usable.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Pennsylvania

Other

Collaborators

  • U.S. National Science Foundation

Registry information

Official study title

PFI: BIC Affordable and Mobile Assistive Robots for Elderly Care

Important dates

Study start
2014
Primary completion
2021
Study completion
2022
First posted
Jun 21, 2016
Registry last updated
Mar 21, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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