Assistive Mobile Robot Systems helping the Disabled Workers in a Factory Environment

Abstract

This paper presents assistive mobile robots that help the disabled to work in a factory environment. The target users as well as the functions of the robot were determined based on varied survey results. After the specific mission was derived, the robots were developed through a repetitive process of designing, development and evaluation. As a result, three mobile robots were developed. The first version of the mobile robot focused on the various functions of the robot. The robot arm and a forklift part of the robot support various tasks for the disabled. The second version is focused on the mobility. A Mecanum wheel-based omni-directional driving mechanism is adopted to improve the mobility of the robot in small spaces. Furthermore, a foldable forklift is used to reduce the size of the robot. The omni-directional driving mechanism was also utilized on the third version. A unique structure for the body frame of the robot is introduced to reduce the vibration caused by the Mecanum wheel rollers. To improve user convenience while using the lift, the third version is equipped with a multiple pillar-based foldable forklift. These robots are expected to provide assistance to disabled workers in a factory environment.