Panasonic develops bed-shaped robot transformable into wheelchair

Panasonic Corp on Friday announced the development of a bed-shaped robot which can be transformable between a bed and a wheelchair with the user staying in bed or wheelchair. The Robotic Bed is designed to help people with limited mobility maintain an independent lifestyle, reducing the need for assistance and expanding their mobility.

Panasonic will exhibit this new robot at the 36th International Home Care & Rehabilitation Exhibition to be held at Tokyo Big Sight from Sept 29 to Oct 1.

Panasonic has been conducting research and development activities in the field of welfare robots that assist human beings. For people who need assistance with daily living activities, it is essential to secure a safe and comfortable way to move on their own to lead an independent life. For care workers, it requires physical exertion to lift and move such a person from the bed to a wheelchair and carries risks of dropping and injuries.

The Robotic Bed provides solutions for both. As the robot can transform itself from a bed into a wheelchair and vice versa at the command of the user, it eliminates not only the need for the user to transfer between the bed and a wheelchair but also the risks and burden associated with the transfer. The robot can also expand the user’s range of activities. Now, the user can join the family meal by converting the bed into a wheelchair and moving to the dining table without the need of assistance from other people.

The Robotic Bed automatically separates or restores certain components as it is converted into the bed or wheelchair mode. In the wheelchair mode, the robot can detect people and obstacles in its way to safely guide the user to avoid collisions. Human-robot interface technologies are also employed to facilitate easy operation with no need for training. An interactive interface enables the user to easily transform the bed into the wheelchair. The wheelchair has an intuitive controller that allows the user to easily drive it and give it an instruction to go back into the bed.

© Japan Today