Publication

NYAM: the role of configurable engagement strategies in robotic-assisted feeding

Conference Article

Conference

ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)

Edition

2024

Pages

228–232

Doc link

https://doi.org/10.1145/3610978.3640691

File

Download the digital copy of the doc pdf document

Abstract

In some contexts, like geriatric hospitals, the number of patients requiring assistance with feeding is very high and robots may be an effective tool for caregivers to provide better assistance. This article introduces NYAM, a robot designed to aid in the feeding process for individuals. Our robot is equipped with a mechanism to effectively recapture the person’s attention whenever necessary. The mechanism is easily adjustable by the caregivers, allowing the straightforward customisation of the feeding service. The approach was evaluated, within a geriatric hospital, with 9 patients who used the robot for 5 consecutive days. We argue that incorporating enhanced social aspects into the robot is imperative to enhance the effectiveness and acceptance of this solution.

Categories

artificial intelligence, knowledge engineering, robots, social aspects of automation.

Scientific reference

C. Barrue, A. Suárez, M. Inzitari, A. Ribera and G. Alenyà. NYAM: the role of configurable engagement strategies in robotic-assisted feeding, 2024 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, 2024, Boulder, CO, USA, pp. 228–232.