A desktop robot monitors the physical and mental state of the elderly and recommends exercises

VALENCIA, 19 Apr. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), belonging to the Valencian Institute of Artificial Intelligence (VRAIN), have developed a new prototype of a small desktop robot for the elderly that is capable of monitoring their physical and mental state and recommending different exercises for contribute to their well-being.

Called GTIbot, the microrobot records all the activities carried out by the user and stores them for possible follow-up by the caregiver. In addition, it incorporates a camera with which it is capable of detecting and processing its emotions and a set of sensors that measure everything from humidity and temperature levels to CO2 and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC).

The information provided by these sensors allows the robot to inform caregivers if any of these values ​​exceed levels that could put the person's health at risk.

The microrobot also has a voice recognition system, which greatly facilitates its interaction with the user, making communication very simple for anyone. "The interaction is carried out fundamentally by voice, both to request something and with the responses it generates. It also incorporates a small touch screen, which allows the audio responses generated by the assistant to be reinforced," adds Jaime A. Rincón, a researcher at the VRAIN Institute. from the UPV and one of the developers of GTIbot.

According to the UPV researchers, one of the drawbacks of the assistants available on the market is their high price, which makes them inaccessible to a significant percentage of the population and which normally coincides with those who are at risk of exclusion and more vulnerable. However, with the appearance of new smaller, cheaper and more powerful devices, it is possible to adapt a new type of low-cost cognitive physical assistants that can be accessible to the largest possible population.

"This is the case of GTIbot, whose cost and functionalities make it especially suitable for the group to which it is addressed, mainly older people who live alone or who spend a large part of the day in solitude", highlight Vicente Julian and Carlos Carrascosa, members also from the VRAIN Institute and developers of the prototype, in a statement.

GTIbot can also communicate with different wearable devices worn by the user, from an exercise tracking bracelet to a heart treadmill. "In this case, by being able to record heart signals (ECG), the robot is a great ally for monitoring older people with heart problems, being able to even analyze the signal and detect atrial fibrillation. Through bluetooth, the robot can send the results of the analysis to the caregiver, their personal doctor or a health center", adds Cédric Marco Detchart, a member of the VRAIN UPV team.

Regarding other applications, the team from the VRAIN Institute of the UPV points out that GTIbot could be used to monitor rehabilitation exercises or certain positions in certain types of training, such as Pilates or yoga.

The work is part of the line of research on Cognitive Assistants of the VRAIN UPV Institute team, which focuses on the application of multi-agent system technologies and automatic learning for direct assistance to the elderly or people with cognitive or physical disabilities.