E-BAR robot prevents falls and improves home mobility for elderly

News

Engineers at MIT have developed E-BAR, a robot that physically supports the elderly and prevents them from falling as they move around their homes.

Six of multiple possible assistance scenarios with a prototype of a new robot being developed at MIT. Top row: getting into/out of a bathtub, bending down to reach objects, and catching a fall. Bottom row: powered sit-to-stand transition from a toilet, lifting a person from the floor, and walking assistance
Six of multiple possible assistance scenarios with a prototype of a new robot being developed at MIT. Top row: getting into/out of a bathtub, bending down to reach objects, and catching a fall. Bottom row: powered sit-to-stand transition from a toilet, lifting a person from the floor, and walking assistance - Roberto Bolli and Harry Asada

Dubbed Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot (E-BAR), the robot acts as a set of robotic handlebars that follows a person from behind. A user can walk independently or lean on the robot’s arms for support. In addition, the team said the robot can support a person’s full weight, lifting them from sitting to standing and vice versa along a natural trajectory.

With E-BAR, the researchers hope to prevent falls, which in the US are the leading cause of injury in adults who are 65 and older.  

In a statement, Harry Asada, the Ford Professor of Engineering at MIT, said: “Many older adults underestimate the risk of fall and refuse to use physical aids, which are cumbersome, while others overestimate the risk and may not want to exercise, leading to declining mobility. 

“Our design concept is to provide older adults having balance impairment with robotic handlebars for stabilising their body. The handlebars go anywhere and provide support anytime, whenever they need.”

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assistive robotics