Robot "Triple H": Home Helper for Handicapped !

What problem or challenge does the robot solve?

There are many people that lives in a handicapped situation. Many of this people would like and enjoy to live by their own, just like a normal person would do. This is what our robot is for. It is basically a home helping robot, that will allow people with physical disabilities to live on their own, without the cost of a nanny or a nurse.

What are some of the functions you will program your robot to carry out?

Basically, the robot will order the house, putting everything back on its place. The robot can also bring things to the owner, things that the user can't reach.

What materials will it be made out of? Why?

It will be made out of light metals, like aluminum. It will also have plastic parts. This in order to have not a noisy and heavy robot, but a light and stealthy one.

How will the robot sense its surroundings?

The robot will count with a variety of sensors in order to know where he is. It will also have scaners, so it can recognize what he needs to grab and where to put it. Cameras similar to the kinect cameras are used to have a better and more detailed view of where he is moving through.

How will it move and respond to the environment?

As I said before, the idea is to create a robot that doesn't invade the owner's house. Because of this, the robot will try to avoid crushing with persons, and when it is not ordered to work, the robot will turn into a stand-by mode.

How or why is a robot better equipped to handle this challenge than a human?
I'm not sure if it is better equiped. The advantages are that this robot works all week and doesn't need rest, or food. Other advantage is that hiring a person to help handicapped people implies money, but with this robot, you only pay at first (the price of the robot). On the other hand, this robot doesn't cook, so the owner will have to hire a nanny, but just to cook, and not during all day.

What specific functions will the robot carry out? What components will the robot include that help it carry out these tasks?

As I mentioned, the robot's main function is to order the house and bring things that the user asks for. In order to do this, the robot counts with omnidirectional wheels, and four folding arms that grab carefully what the owner asks for. It was a huge memory, in order to learn everything that's in the house, and where to put it or find it. There is also an application for smartphones that allows the user to select something he wants, and the robot will go and bring it to him.

What will the robot look like? Will it look humanlike? Why or why not?

The robot will actually look like a box with several arms. This, because it's the most practical way of doing it. With this design, the robot is more efficient than with a human form. In other words, it develops better his task the way it is designed.

How will the robot’s appearance influence how people interact with it?
Because it look more like a machine than a human being, it will be treated like that, a machime. People won't feel really attached to the robot, because it looks more like a tool than ike a "friend"

What limitations does the robot have?

The robot might be slow, because the technology to make a fast working robot doesn't exist yet. Other limitation is that the robot can't go up through a stair, but that is not actually a huge problem, because people with physical probles won't live in a place with stairs.