Personal Care Robots: Safety Verification, Standardization in Progress
Personal care robots for performing human tasks such as nursing and housework are used in various areas of daily life and come in close contact with humans, and therefore must be safe and secure. AIST has been conducting R&D on personal care robots while also studying safety verification methods and international standardization processes in order to improve the relationship between humans and robots for the future.
AIST has been developing various types of robots : humanoids that move in ways that resemble human behavior; automatic operation systems for improving the safety and functions of existing devices such as vehicles; support spaces installed in rooms wherein people live; and therapeutic robots that offer the therapeutic benefits of animals in facilities where real animals are prohibited for hygiene reasons. In addition, remarkable progress has been made in nursing care robots for directly assisting patients in bed.
However, the issue of robot safety has attracted much attention. The Robot Safety Center of AIST has been working on the safe use of robots in human life, including working with robot manufacturers to test safety. Our accumulated knowledge has been used to create international standards for securing the safety of robots developed worldwide.