Development of head care robot using five-bar closed link mechanism with enhanced head shape following capability

Abstract

We have developed a head care robot equipped with scrubbing fingers that washes hair and provides scalp cares in hospitals and care facilities to ease the burden on healthcare professionals and care workers. Our robot provides frequent hair washing and a higher Quality Of Life (QOL) to patients and others who need such nursing care. Its elemental technologies include the following: a cylindrical rack mechanism for self-aligning and a drive-force transmission from an electric motor to multiple fingers, a five-bar closed link mechanism to expand the area of the head that can be washed by extension motion, and rear pressure force control by a coordinated double arm motion to switch between supporting and washing the head. In addition, we introduce an orientation correction mechanism into our five-bar closed link mechanism to keep the end effector's contact face aligned along the head's surface. This paper presents several elemental technologies and the kinematics of a five-bar closed link mechanism and discusses the improvement of the head shape following capability using an orientation correction mechanism.