Session: 06-10-01: Robotics, Rehabilitation

Paper Number: 138030

138030 - A Robotic Dog Payload for the Elderly 

In the United States, approximately one-fourth of individuals are at risk of social isolation. Additionally, an average of 32,000 deaths occur every year due to accidental falls for people over the age of sixty-five. Companion robots offer a promising solution to address loneliness and safety among the elderly. Modifying a robot dog with canine attributes could enhance relational dynamics by fostering connection, warmth, and trustworthiness. Assistive robot dogs could enhance the quality of life for the elderly, by addressing mobility, communication, and daily activities. Consequently, this investigation demonstrates a novel payload addition on a Boston Dynamics robot dog – Spot Explorer. A Raspberry Pi 4 Model B with a customized PyAutoGUI algorithm is used to control the robotic dog with Python. This allowed for adequate interaction with Boston Dynamics Spot, wireless connection, and a user-friendly fail-safe component with a keyboard. Also, an Argon ONE M.2. Aluminum Case with an internal fan and Western Digital 240 GB M.2 2280 Solid State Drive were implemented for proper cooling and adequate data storage. The payload module houses hardware integration, including a DAOKI high-sensitivity sound sensor, DF Robot offline voice recognition sensor, Ixana non-radiative wire-like wireless technology (Wi-R), TF-Luna light detection and ranging sensor (LiDAR), DFRobot HuskyLens artificial intelligence vision sensor, and an ELEGOO HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor.  Arduino IDE and an ELEGOO Mega 2560 R3 were also implemented to establish a serial connection between the DFRobot HuskyLens and the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B.   Subsequently, a Vatrer 12 V 7Ah LiFePO4 battery, Foval 200 W Inverter, and 10 A fuse were used for power management. Furthermore, experiments were conducted for the calibration of the ultrasonic sensor on a preliminary payload. Preliminary results using the ultrasound sensor yielded a range of 22 cm to 31 cm for successful obstacle avoidance and facilitated friendly interaction with the user. Additionally, statistical analysis such as Analysis of Variance was conducted for determining the effect of different materials on distance measurement. After the calibration data had been processed with the respective sensor, linear regression on the ultrasound sensor’s calibration curve showed that experimental data agreed with the prescribed range.  A SolidWorks 3D model of the hardware mount was created and imported into COMSOL Multiphysics for engineering simulation. The Polylactic Acid (PLA) mount was simulated with the solid mechanics module and PARDISO solver in COMSOL Multiphysics. This allowed for proper weight optimization and hardware validation. Thus, a user-friendly payload for Boston Dynamics Spot is proposed and demonstrated with engineering simulations, software innovation, and hardware integration. Future work will involve the integration and validation of all sensors with Spot to create a friendly robot dog that could improve the quality of life for senior citizens.

Presenting Author: Omar Cavazos University of North Texas

Presenting Author Biography: My first compelling encounter with ASME IMECE was with a wireless photonic intraocular pressure sensor as an undergraduate mechanical engineering researcher. Subsequently, my profound interest in academia was further fostered during my summer undergraduate research fellowship experiences at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Furthermore, I am now pursuing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering with a background in Mechanical Engineering. Currently, at the University of North Texas, I investigate robotics for the Elderly.

Authors:

Omar Cavazos University of North Texas
Gurushayraam Venkatesan University of North Texas
Shuopu Wang University of North Texas
Syed Abdullah Imam University of North Texas
Shahed Shuman-Thomas University of North Texas
Akshay Sunkara University of North Texas
Kendra Green University of North Texas
Vijay Vaidyanathan University of North Texas