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The Useworthiness of Robots for People with Physical Disabilities

Eftring, Håkan LU (1999)
Abstract
This thesis deals with robotics and the new possibilities it offers people with physical disabilities. I focus on the user and the use of the technology and, in particular, on what makes robotic aids worth using - useworthiness as distinguished from usability.



User experience of the wheelchair-mounted Manus manipulator shows that robotic arms must meet technical requirements in terms of acceleration, speed, and pattern of movement. Easy horizontal and vertical adjustment of the end-effector is another requirement which must be met to enable a user to carry out the most common movements faster with less concentration.



Experience of the useworthiness of robots was first obtained through the development... (More)
This thesis deals with robotics and the new possibilities it offers people with physical disabilities. I focus on the user and the use of the technology and, in particular, on what makes robotic aids worth using - useworthiness as distinguished from usability.



User experience of the wheelchair-mounted Manus manipulator shows that robotic arms must meet technical requirements in terms of acceleration, speed, and pattern of movement. Easy horizontal and vertical adjustment of the end-effector is another requirement which must be met to enable a user to carry out the most common movements faster with less concentration.



Experience of the useworthiness of robots was first obtained through the development of page-turning end-effectors for the RAID workstation. The principles of separating pages and the page-turning movements are analyzed and described in this thesis. End-effectors are essential to the functionality and useworthiness of robots. The performance requirements for the automatic grasping function for simplified robot use have been brought out through user trials.



The thesis demonstrates that user trials with robots as assistive devices can result in new knowledge about both the use of the technology itself and the personal characteristics - needs, abilities, wishes, and dreams - of the user.



Parts of the thesis have already been published or will be published in the form of articles and conference papers:



- Robotics in rehabilitation. IEEE Transactions on Rehabilitation Engineering, vol. 3, no 1, pp. 77-83, March 1995.



- The Manus Manipulator as a Tool for Rehabilitation. To be published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.



- Technical results from Manus user trials. Proceedings of the sixth International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), pp. 136-141, Stanford, California, USA, July 1999.



- Robot control methods and results from user trials on the RAID workstation. Proceedings of the fourth International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), pp. 97-101, Wilmington, Delaware, USA, June 1994.



- RAID - A Robotic Workstation for the Disabled. Proceedings of the 2nd European Conference on the Advancement of Rehabilitation Technology (ECART 2), pp. 24.3, Stockholm, Sweden, May 1993. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Avhandlingen behandlar robotteknik och de nya möjligheter som den kan ge människor med rörelsehinder. Jag fokuserar på teknikanvändaren och teknikanvändningen, speciellt på vad som gör robothjälpmedel värda att använda. Distinktion görs mellan användvärdhet och användbarhet.



Erfarenheter från användning av den rullstolsmonterade robotarmen Manus visar att tekniska krav ställs bland annat på robotarmars acceleration, hastighet och rörelsemönster. Att enkelt kunna ställa gripdon horisontellt och vertikalt är andra krav för att snabbare och mindre koncentrationskrävande kunna utföra de vanligaste rörelserna.



De första erfarenheterna av robotars användvärdhet... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Avhandlingen behandlar robotteknik och de nya möjligheter som den kan ge människor med rörelsehinder. Jag fokuserar på teknikanvändaren och teknikanvändningen, speciellt på vad som gör robothjälpmedel värda att använda. Distinktion görs mellan användvärdhet och användbarhet.



Erfarenheter från användning av den rullstolsmonterade robotarmen Manus visar att tekniska krav ställs bland annat på robotarmars acceleration, hastighet och rörelsemönster. Att enkelt kunna ställa gripdon horisontellt och vertikalt är andra krav för att snabbare och mindre koncentrationskrävande kunna utföra de vanligaste rörelserna.



De första erfarenheterna av robotars användvärdhet gjordes genom tekniskt utvecklingsarbete av gripdon för bladvändning till kontorsroboten RAID. Principerna för att separera blad och bladvändningsrörelsen analyseras och beskrivs i avhandlingen. Gripdon är en central del av robotars funktionalitet och användvärdhet. Krav på en automatisk gripfunktion för förenklad robotanvändning har tagits fram genom användartester.



Avhandlingen visar på hur provanvändning av robotar som hjälpmedel kan leda till nya kunskaper om både teknikanvändningen i sig och teknikanvändarens personliga egenskaper - behov, förmågor, önskningar och drömmar.



Delar av avhandlingen har tidigare publicerats eller kommer att publiceras som artiklar och konferensbidrag:



- Robotics in rehabilitation. IEEE Transactions on Rehabilitation Engineering, vol. 3, no 1, pp 77-83, March 1995.



- The Manus Manipulator as a Tool for Rehabilitation. To be published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.



- Technical results from Manus user trials. Proceedings of the sixth International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), pp. 136-141, Stanford, California, USA, July 1999.



- Robot control methods and results from user trials on the RAID workstation. Proceedings of the fourth International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), pp 97-101, Wilmington, Delaware, USA, June 1994.



- RAID - A Robotic Workstation for the Disabled. Proceedings of the 2nd European Conference on the Advancement of Rehabilitation Technology (ECART 2), pp 24.3, Stockholm, Sweden, May 1993. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Dr. Harwin, Dr William S, Dept of Cybernetics, University of Reading, England
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Page-turning, End-effector, RAID, Manus, Independence, Needs Analysis, Simplified Robot Use, Automatic Grasping, Case Studies., Ethics, Rehabilitering (medicinsk och social), rehabilitation, revalidation, kinesitherapy, Physical medicine, Rehabilitation Robotics, Robots, Physical Disabilities, Useworthiness, Usability
pages
184 pages
publisher
Certec, Lund University
defense location
Room E:1406, building E, Lund Institute of Technology
defense date
1999-09-22 13:15:00
ISBN
91-628-3711-7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
13a8dfb9-0fcc-4bc9-8429-98f69d9c096c (old id 19270)
alternative location
http://www.certec.lth.se/dok/anvandvardhetenhos/
http://www.certec.lth.se/doc/useworthiness/
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:32:26
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:59:21
@phdthesis{13a8dfb9-0fcc-4bc9-8429-98f69d9c096c,
  abstract     = {{This thesis deals with robotics and the new possibilities it offers people with physical disabilities. I focus on the user and the use of the technology and, in particular, on what makes robotic aids worth using - useworthiness as distinguished from usability.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
User experience of the wheelchair-mounted Manus manipulator shows that robotic arms must meet technical requirements in terms of acceleration, speed, and pattern of movement. Easy horizontal and vertical adjustment of the end-effector is another requirement which must be met to enable a user to carry out the most common movements faster with less concentration.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Experience of the useworthiness of robots was first obtained through the development of page-turning end-effectors for the RAID workstation. The principles of separating pages and the page-turning movements are analyzed and described in this thesis. End-effectors are essential to the functionality and useworthiness of robots. The performance requirements for the automatic grasping function for simplified robot use have been brought out through user trials.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The thesis demonstrates that user trials with robots as assistive devices can result in new knowledge about both the use of the technology itself and the personal characteristics - needs, abilities, wishes, and dreams - of the user.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Parts of the thesis have already been published or will be published in the form of articles and conference papers:<br/><br>
<br/><br>
- Robotics in rehabilitation. IEEE Transactions on Rehabilitation Engineering, vol. 3, no 1, pp. 77-83, March 1995.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
- The Manus Manipulator as a Tool for Rehabilitation. To be published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
- Technical results from Manus user trials. Proceedings of the sixth International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), pp. 136-141, Stanford, California, USA, July 1999.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
- Robot control methods and results from user trials on the RAID workstation. Proceedings of the fourth International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics (ICORR), pp. 97-101, Wilmington, Delaware, USA, June 1994.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
- RAID - A Robotic Workstation for the Disabled. Proceedings of the 2nd European Conference on the Advancement of Rehabilitation Technology (ECART 2), pp. 24.3, Stockholm, Sweden, May 1993.}},
  author       = {{Eftring, Håkan}},
  isbn         = {{91-628-3711-7}},
  keywords     = {{Page-turning; End-effector; RAID; Manus; Independence; Needs Analysis; Simplified Robot Use; Automatic Grasping; Case Studies.; Ethics; Rehabilitering (medicinsk och social); rehabilitation; revalidation; kinesitherapy; Physical medicine; Rehabilitation Robotics; Robots; Physical Disabilities; Useworthiness; Usability}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Certec, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{The Useworthiness of Robots for People with Physical Disabilities}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5562923/3514471.pdf}},
  year         = {{1999}},
}