2024 | Rishabh Madan, Skyler Valdez, David Kim, Sujie Fang, Luoyan Zhong, Diego T. Virtue, Tapomayukh Bhattacharjee
RABBIT is a novel robot-assisted bed bathing system designed to address the growing need for assistive technologies in personal hygiene tasks. It combines multimodal perception (RGB and thermal imaging) and dual compliance (software and hardware) to perform safe and comfortable physical human-robot interaction. The system can accurately segment dry, soapy, and wet skin regions, enabling effective execution of washing, rinsing, and drying tasks. RABBIT includes custom-designed motion primitives inspired by human caregiving techniques and a compliant end-effector called Scrubby, optimized for gentle and effective interactions. A user study with 12 participants, including one with severe mobility limitations, demonstrated the system's effectiveness and perceived comfort. The system's performance was evaluated through a user study, where participants provided high ratings across all tasks, indicating its capability to provide a comfortable and efficient bed bath. The study also highlighted the system's adaptability to different user conditions, particularly for individuals with mobility limitations. Future work will focus on enhancing the system's long-term assistance capabilities, improving coverage and sensitivity to individual needs, and integrating user preferences and feedback.RABBIT is a novel robot-assisted bed bathing system designed to address the growing need for assistive technologies in personal hygiene tasks. It combines multimodal perception (RGB and thermal imaging) and dual compliance (software and hardware) to perform safe and comfortable physical human-robot interaction. The system can accurately segment dry, soapy, and wet skin regions, enabling effective execution of washing, rinsing, and drying tasks. RABBIT includes custom-designed motion primitives inspired by human caregiving techniques and a compliant end-effector called Scrubby, optimized for gentle and effective interactions. A user study with 12 participants, including one with severe mobility limitations, demonstrated the system's effectiveness and perceived comfort. The system's performance was evaluated through a user study, where participants provided high ratings across all tasks, indicating its capability to provide a comfortable and efficient bed bath. The study also highlighted the system's adaptability to different user conditions, particularly for individuals with mobility limitations. Future work will focus on enhancing the system's long-term assistance capabilities, improving coverage and sensitivity to individual needs, and integrating user preferences and feedback.