Design of a robot for patient transfer training

Abstract

In this paper, a robot patient was proposed to help nursing students improve their skills in transferring a patient from a bed to a wheelchair. The robot was used to reproduce the patients movements during the transfer process. We used a mannequin as the base and designed mechanisms for the robots arm and knee joints. There were 15 joints in the robot patient, including 2 active joints driven by motors, 4 passive joints attached with electric brakes, and 9 passive joints without actuators. Through these mechanisms, the robot could reproduce various body movements of patients during patient transfer, such as embracing a nurses shoulder, standing with assistance, and remaining in a standing position.