ProVar

U0303509 Varun Agarwala

In order to help people who have physical disabilities like tetraplagia, a Professional Vocational Assistant Robot, or ProVar for short, was developed, which would aid them to move physical objects. This system allows these people to create and execute daily chores and vocational supports using a function known as Activities of Daily Living.

The robot uses a novel user interface and dynamic control environment for robust and safe manipulation. It has an arm, mounted overhead a motorized track, which can execute tasks required by the user. The user can see a preview of the task on a workstation to confirm if that is exactly what he or she wants. The system uses a 3-dimentional model to combine task creation and manipulation. The system has the capability to act according to a user’s specific physical disabilities by using various adaptive devices, specified by the ADL. It can be used for getting medication, drinks, papers handling etc. In short, it has enough functions for a disabled person to remain comfortable in the absence of an assistant and most importantly, remain independent.

The use of this device on test subjects confirmed its ease of use as well as a variety of functions specified by the user’s themselves. After just a couple of training sessions, the users were able to use the device without much difficulty and this device should prove to be a big boon for physically disabled humans.