Mechanism design of a robotic chair/bed system for bedridden aged

Abstract

A robotic chair/bed system for assisting bedridden aged for their independent life in bed is developed and tested. This robotic system can assist bedridden people to lead a relatively independent life, so as to relieve the burdens for their families and healthcare personnel. The robotic chair/bed system consists of a reconfigurable and omnidirectional mobile chair/bed and a U-shaped bed. The wheelchair can be docked to the U-shaped bed and reconfigured to a static bed for transportation between chair and bed. A six-wheel omnidirectional vehicle is used for the chair/bed. The bed is equipped with a mechanism for repositioning a rigid body with a flexible sheet to alleviate bedsores and other ailments. Through the teleconferencing facility on the bed, the bedridden patient is supervised and assisted all the time by the distal caregiver. The design concept of the chair/bed system is described in short. The mechanism design and analysis of the vehicle, the flipping-body function, and the chair/bed are discussed. The issue of the docking control is addressed. A prototype system is designed and tested. The technical feasibility is verified.