Design strategies to improve self-feeding device - FeedBot for Parkinson patients

Abstract

The aim of the paper has been to make individuals with disability in arms, who have been fed during meals, completely or partially independent by use of the self-feeding device. In this paper, it describes a self-feeding system designed to increase the independence of a person who is unable to use their arm for self-feeding. It is FeedBot, a highly integrated and compact service robot with manipulator and food index tray. FeedBot is an intelligent device for disabled people in the home health care is self-feeding manipulator especially to Parkinson patients, who have difficulty to feed the foods while eating. In particular, FeedBot combines the best of available technology including a 2 DOF light-weight manipulator and an index tray. It operates with a food tray and a manipulator to bring the foods from tray and feed to disabled people as Parkinson patients. The self-feeding system is operated autonomous by itself and sent food's data and relative information to monitoring computer based on Internet. Besides, the tool of management can analyze the data according to the nutritional standards, and controller control movements of manipulator and automation tray based on health situation and needs of patients.