OFweekRobotOn September 16, 2008, the life of US Army Warrant Officer Romulo Camargo was completely disrupted. While deployed in Afghanistan, he was ambushed and hit by a stray bullet in the neck. Since then, paralysis has become the nightmare of his life.
Paralysis made Romolo’s life extremely inconvenient, and even drinking a glass of water was a challenge for him. But recently, Romolo’s life has improved considerably. And all this thanks to Toyota’s latest nursing Robot (Human Support Robothereinafter referred to as HSR).
(Wounded veteran and HSR Robot, photo credit: TOYOTA)
Robots for the underprivileged
The HSR is about 1.2 meters tall and has a microcomputer overhead, which is equipped with various cameras and sensors, and can be controlled by voice or tablet.Retractable folding arms and softmechanicalHands are used to pick up various items. Thanks to the wheels on the bottom, the HSR can move around nimbly.
As a nursing robot, the working principle of HSR is simple and clear:
Before use, it is necessary to write various command options for the HSR, such as drinking water, opening the door, etc., and paste the matching QR code on the corresponding items. After setting, you can let HSR automatically recognize objects and execute corresponding commands through voice or tablet controller.
(Having HSR help the patient drink water, image source: YouTube)
Although it is only to perform some simple tasks, it is already a great convenience for Romolo, who is paralyzed:
For people with disabilities, this means that the existing rules of the game have changed dramatically.
The HSR isn’t Toyota’s first robot to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Just over two months ago, Toyota released a walking assistance robot, the Welwalk WW-1000, which is mainly used to help disabled elderly or disabled people regain their ability to walk.
Welwalk WW-1000 is mainly composed of monitor, walking machine and mechanical legs. Before use, the patient needs to fix the mechanical leg to the leg and put on the safety line to ensure that there is no fall.
In the future, Toyota is bound to launch more functional and highly customized commercial robots. This old-fashioned car factory, which has been established for nearly a century, is actively exploring on the road of transformation – just like in 1929, Sakichi Toyoda resolutely sold the patent of the automatic loom, allowing his son Kiichiro Toyoda to set up the automobile department in the textile factory.
In the past, Toyota has been committed to selling cars to more people; in the future, Toyota may make everyone who does not drive a car accompanied by a robot.
The Links: 3HAC025562-001 3HNM 11649-1
