Tackling The New Health-Care Paradigm Through Service Robotics: Unobtrusive, efficient, reliable, and modular solutions for assisted-living environments

Medical care, supported by modern technology and methods, will play an important role in our global society. An increasing average age and the need to keep standards in care lead to the introduction of several solutions often described as ambient assisted living (AAL). However, most people feel uncomfortable with these solutions, describing a sense of secret observation. To alleviate this sense of secret observation, the sensor platform is placed in clear view of the end user. This is accomplished through the involvement of robotics in this domain, and both caregivers and the patient are offered support for several tasks. The Robots in Assisted Living Environments: Unobtrusive, Efficient, Reliable, and Modular Solutions for Independent Ageing (RADIO) project targets this topic but differs from other solutions by its specific concepts, which are especially the unobtrusiveness and inclusion into home automation. This article presents the RADIO approach with its solutions for combining robotics and home automation for use in AAL environments.