When I think of robot servants what first comes to mind is “Rosie” -the robot maid from The Jetsons. Rosie was a part of the Jetson family as well as an essential part of the household doing many tasks quickly and efficiently. Jane Jetson the mother and wife in the series disliked the mundane household chores thus acquiring Rosie to do everything from cooking, cleaning, and even playing ball with the son Elroy. All this technology was predicted for the 21st century, giving many of us this idea that the future would be quite easy with robots to help us with everyday tasks. I still love the idea of a “Rosie” to be become a household staple; a servant, a maid, but also a human-like part of the family. I believe that robot servants could help many people and are a great idea to invest in.

For working parents, household chores can become a stressor. With not much time in the day to be able to cook, vacuum, do laundry and dishes, or even help the kids with their homework, a helping hand would be a welcomed idea for most. Alpha2 is a domestic robot engineered for practical household use and companionship. The Alpha2 robot can respond to verbal commands, talk, protect your home, take pictures to post to Facebook, as well as read stories to your kids at bedtime. Asking price is about $1500-2000 for the device. Alpha2 can be customized by its owner for gender and voice, making it possible to sound like a real, emotional person. This robot is also able to notify you if it is to hear unusual noises as well as set your home alarm to keep you safe. At only 17 inches tall and weighing less than 5 pounds, Alpha2 is adorable and able to get around easily on its own two feet. (Spector)

With the newer generations having the use of many robotic toys, and with the future bringing robotic assistants, it may be easily accepted and anticipated for the technology. Children like the human-like interactions with robots and developers are looking to the toys to bring those aspects to a utilitarian household robot. Being a human-friendly machine can take away the intimidation factor for a lot of people. Experts say that soon robots will be available to cook and clean, used for security, able to guide the blind, and help seriously ill people. Some robots today are used to vacuum the floor, mow the lawn, and clean the bottom of a pool, usually only one task per robot. The HelpMate is a robot on wheels used in over 80 hospitals, that carries medical records, laundry, and medications. Mr. Engelberger of HelpMate Robotics wants to create a robot for the elderly to help them cook and clean, get out of bed and remind them to take their medications, enabling them to keep some of their independence in their own homes. (Marriott)

Japan is a leader in robotics, with its population aging faster than here in the U.S. Japan’s aging crisis drove the government to heavily invest in robotic technology for the elderly. A bed that can transform on command to a joystick-controlled wheelchair and Riba, which is a robotic nurse disguised as a giant teddy bear to help lift patients are some of the products developed. Paro is a seal-like robotic pet used for companionship. After 15 years and $15 million of government funding, Paro was released with a minimum price of $3800. The fuzzy robot is ideal for seniors unable to care for real pets or if they are in a nursing home where real pets aren’t allowed. Interaction with the pet is done by petting and holding it and Paro will respond by closing its eyes and moving its tail. Paro can respond to its name and make cry-like noises if its uncared for just like a real pet. Developers are still looking to produce human-like companion robots and a Jetson-style servant robot for household use. (MacLeod)

Robot servants or companions can be costly devices although the price to hire someone to do all the tasks that a robot can would be costly as well. I can’t see many jobs being taken away as there are still many things a robot cannot accomplish leaving maids, butlers, personal chefs, home health aides, and nannies with secure jobs for now. Robots may be able to better assist some of those professions, working along-side of them. One issue also being developers still need to produce robot servants with the ability to tell a friend from an intruder and a doll from a baby, but with technology constantly improving, the issues will be worked out before we know it. (Marriott) The cost of government funding is over $15 million for just one robot but with the need to solve the aging crisis in Japan the cost is outweighed by the benefits. These machines can be impersonal and cold leaving the older generations, feeling turned off by the thought of using them. Science fiction movies have long since portrayed robots as villains, attacking humans, causing distrust from consumers that is hoped by developers to soon create a more peaceful image. (MacLeod) In recent years, having a lot of toys come on the market that can interact positively with humans, is already starting to show people that robots aren’t always so automated and unemotional.

Robot servants seem as though they could only benefit us in a positive way. Being a companion and assistant to the elderly and disabled is a huge benefit in my opinion. With the baby boomer generation as our senior citizens here in the U.S., I feel as though there is a huge market for robots, to not only help them at home but to help the aid that is providing their care. The worried adult children left to take care of their aging parents will be able to have some piece of mind knowing that their loved one is being taken care of and has company while they are away at work. Families that are in need for help around the house and help with the kids also seems like it could solve a lot of everyday issues for so many of us. Single, working parents would be able to accomplish a long list of tasks easily with the help of a robot, freeing up more time to spend with their kids and creating a less stressful day. Technology can sometimes seem intimidating, but as time goes on and robots are integrated more in society, my hope is they will be used for all the benefits they can provide creating more trust amongst people. Robot servants and companions are still in the beginning stages, we are not yet at the “Rosie the Maid” level yet, but sometime in the future hopefully we can embrace all there is to offer by having them around as we continue to advance.

Works Cited
MacLeod, Calum. “”A glimpse of the future: robots aiding the elderly.”.” USA Today Global Issues in Context (2009): p. 01A. 2018. < http://www.bristolcc.edu:2259/apps/doc/A211339622/GIC?u=mlin_s_bristcc&sid=GIC&xid=a9a37fe0>.
Marriott, Michel. “”Toys today, servants tomorrow; robots can learn much from high-tech playthings.”.” New York Times Global Issues in Context (2001): p.G1. 2018. <http://www.bristolcc.edu:2259/apps/doc/A72263347/GIC?u=mlin_s_bristcc&sid=GIC&xid=3d73412b>.
Spector, Lincoln. “”The first affordable robot servant, Alpha2, is now in development.”.” PC World Global Issues in Context (2015): p. 24+. 2018. <http://www.bristolcc.edu:2259/apps/doc/A438207078/GIC?u=mlin_s_bristcc&sid=GIC&xid=e9175486.>.

 

 

In the essay, “Why Robots Do Not Belong on the Beat” by Courtney, her thesis is that she does not believe that robots should replace human police officers.

Some of the supporting reasons Courtney uses in her essay to defend her thesis are;

 

• Robots lack empathy opposed to human officers. Emotional conduct and compassion towards victims are two important aspects that officers would need in order to do their job effectively. Making a victim comfortable to share their stories by connecting with them and communicating a sense of understanding is something a somewhat harsh and unfeeling electronic device is unable to do.

• Split-decision making is something robots do not have the ability to do. Officers are needed in some serious calls like suicide and hostage situations to be able to make fast, lifesaving decisions. Robots would unlikely be able to make any split-second decision or have a fast response time due to their pre-programmed, remotely operated systems.

 

• The cost effectiveness is debatable between robots and human officers. The salary of an average police officer is about $47,000 a year. The cost of one robot is about the cost of a five-year salary for the average police officer. Also factoring in the boost to the economy due to the jobs that stay in use by these officers putting their money back into the community.

 

The Use of Robots with Stroke Patients

Stroke in adults living in the U.S affects about 6.4 million, making it the leading cause of long-term disability among Americans. (Lo) A stroke can be defined as a sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood flow or a rupture of an artery to the brain. Weakness, paralysis- especially on one side of the body, and spasticity are some of the effects of stroke that can be temporary or permanent depending on recovery and treatment. (Mayo Clinic Staff) Spasticity is tight or stiff muscles and the inability to control those muscles and paralysis is the inability to move all or portions of the body.

Recovery for stroke patients depends on the patient and severity of the stroke. Many therapies are used today to help with treatment as in physical therapy, occupational therapy, as well as rehabilitation therapists. Physical therapy can help a patient with their gait and balance enabling them to be able to walk and go up and down stairs by a variety of specialized, individual based care. Occupational therapists concentrate on daily living tasks that the stroke patient is unable to do, pick up objects, write, and feed themselves also with individualized care usually in a rehabilitation center but can also be done at the patient’s home. (Mayo Clinic Staff)

Some stroke patients are able to gain back some of the functions that have been damaged by the stroke in a process called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability for the brain to change over the course of time, moving damaged parts and locating them in a different section, like the brain re-wiring itself. With the long-term aftercare of patients and the prognosis of stroke patients, technology has stepped up to find a way for those affected to not only have help with daily living but also with the rehabilitation process.

Robot assisted gait training is just one of the tools used to restore walking ability by using software to adjust robotic arms through detectors adjusting to the patient’s needs and capabilities. The patient is securely put in a harness eliminating fall risk and the need for assistance to stand. Patients in wheelchairs are also able to use this equipment at their own pace and ability level making it a popular choice and has various many costly options of gait trainers. The engineer’s purpose of testing robotic gait-training on disabled patients was to see if it may replace the need for physical therapists. “The main advantage of robotic therapy is to enable individuals to receive more therapy. While some robotic technologies are designed for caregiving, others focus on training or provide other rehabilitative tools.” (Goldberg)

Some incredible devices have been made in recent years after numerous versions, giving the patient the ability to be completely mobile. “The Hybrid Assistive Limb is a wearable lower-limb rehabilitation robot developed by the University of Tsukuba, Japan. The original purpose of the device was to assist patients with lower-limb motor dysfunction to complete the routine activities such as walking, standing, sitting, and going up and downstairs. At present, a fifth generation of the products has been developed, a whole-body wearable robot, which can assist the upper and lower limb movement.” (Zhang, Yue and Wang)

Upper limb therapy is another area that robotics has attempted to assist with. ILC or Iterative Learning Control is a process of performing a task repetitively by a trial by trial process. This is technique used for rehabilitation after stroke. “Regaining upper limb movement is an important step in a return to independence after stroke, but the prognosis for such recovery has remained poor. Rehabilitation robotics provides the opportunity for repetitive task-oriented movement practice reflecting the importance of such intense practice demonstrated by conventional therapeutic research and motor learning theory.” (Burridge, Freeman and Rodgers)

Studies on disabled stroke patients have been done to see how well robotic rehabilitation works versus some of the more conventional methods that have been used for decades. “Most studies were done on patients that had a stroke 6 months prior and had a physical impairment of an upper limb. They were testing and comparing therapies; robot-assisted therapy, usual care, and intensive comparison therapy. The results for robot-assisted therapy was better than just the usual care but worse than those receiving intensive comparison therapy.” (Lo) The testing was also done on stroke patients to see if it would replace the need for a physical therapist in the rehabilitation process. Results showing the need for technological advancement in this field is still needed, securing jobs in the physical therapy field at least for the time being.

In conclusion, stroke patients have had numerous breakthroughs in technology to assist in daily living as well as rehabilitation and although some are costly or outdated, the need for robot-assisted therapy is still there. Studies have shown that at this time intensive comparison therapy is still the better option over robotics therapy, but robotic therapy works better than the usual care that a patient receives. (Lo) Hopefully one day in the future those that have become disabled due to a stroke are able to use robotics in a way that can not only improve their quality of life, but also able to do some physical therapies on their own and become completely mobile.

 

 

Works Cited
Burridge, Jane H., Chris T. Freeman and Eric Rodgers. Iterative Learning Control for Electrical Stimulation and Stroke Rehabilitation. Springer, June 26, 2015.
Goldberg, Mary L. “Rehabilitation Robots.” PN-Paraplegia News (2011): P.22+.
Lo, Albert C. “Robot-Assisted Therapy for Long-Term Upper-Limb Impairment after Stroke.” The New England Journal of Medicine (May 13, 2013): P.1772-1783.
Mayo Clinic Staff. Stroke rehabilitation: What to expect as you recover. 24 May 2017. 4 November 2018.
Science, NewsRx Health &. “UNIST Engineers Robotic Device Helping Stroke Survivors Recover.” (July 2, 2017): P.260.
Zhang, Xue, Zen Yue and Jing Wang. “Robotics in Lower-Limb Rehabilitation after Stroke.” Behavioral Technology (2017): V.2017.

 

1. Stroke patients can gain back some of the functions that have been damaged by the stroke and have it located in a different section of the brain. Neuroplasticity is the ability for the brain to change over the course of time, like the brain re-wiring itself.

Some stroke patients are able to gain back some of the functions that have been damaged by the stroke in a process called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability for the brain to change over the course of time, moving damaged parts and locating them in a different section, like the brain re-wiring itself.

 

I changed these two sentences and reconfigured them to make more sense and flow a little bit easier. I felt that leaving the “some” part out of the first sentence was mis-leading. I also wanted to be very clear about what exactly neuroplasticity is. I think the 2 sentences are much clearer and the first gives an intro to the second sentence.

2. They are testing robotic gait-training on disabled patients to see if it would replace the need for a physical therapist.

The engineer’s purpose of testing robotic gait-training on disabled patients was to see if it may replace the need for physical therapists.

This sentence needed revision as it was very unclear as to who “they” were. I also wanted to state that there was a purpose for the testing. In the paragraph it seemed to stick out as though it were an incomplete sentence. I feel like it fits in much better with the paragraph now.

 

3. Studies have been done to see how well robotic rehabilitation works.

Studies on disabled stroke patients have been done to see how well robotic rehabilitation works versus some of the more conventional methods that have been used for decades.

I revised this sentence to include more important information. It was the first sentence of the paragraph, so I wanted it to be very clear and give a reference as to what the paragraph was about. I wanted to explain exactly who the studies were done on and what the studies were about.

Missing quotes in first paragraph and missing punctuation. I think maybe it could use more of an introduction on the topic in your own words.
Second paragraph missing some capitalization. Maybe you could talk more about belief on Autistic children using hands-on learning and maybe a resource where we could find out more info on that.
Third paragraph needing some capitalization and punctuation.
Fourth paragraph may need some rewording as quite a few of the sentences sound repetitious, starting with “NAO.”
Fifth paragraph seemed to flow nicely.
Sixth paragraph has some missing capitalization. The quote “Social expectations like making eye contact can be tricky for children with ASD” said Otero, seemed as though it was missing the important part at the end. I found the text; “Social expectations like making eye contact can be tricky for children with ASD, but robots have no issue with that,” Otero said.
Also in need of a concluding paragraph to tie all the info listed together about the topic.
Only 2 resources listed and second link brought me to a blank page.

The Use of Robots with Stroke Patients

Stroke in adults living in the U.S affects about 6.4 million, making it the leading cause of long-term disability among Americans. A stroke can be defined as a sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood flow or a rupture of an artery to the brain. Weakness, paralysis- especially on one side of the body, and spasticity are some of the effects of stroke that can be temporary or permanent depending on recovery and treatment. Spasticity is tight or stiff muscles and the inability to control those muscles and paralysis is the inability to move all or portions of the body.

Recovery for stroke patients depends on the patient and severity of the stroke. Many therapies are used today to help with treatment as in physical therapy, occupational therapy, as well as rehabilitation therapists. Physical therapy can help a patient with their gait and balance enabling them to be able to walk and go up and down stairs by a variety of specialized, individual based care. Occupational therapists concentrate on daily living tasks that the stroke patient is unable to do, pick up objects, write, and feed themselves also with individualized care usually in a rehabilitation center but can also be done at the patient’s home.

Neuroplasticity is the ability for the brain to change over the course of time, like the brain re-wiring itself. Stroke patients can gain back some of the functions that have been damaged by the stroke and have it located in a different section of the brain. With the long-term aftercare of patients and the prognosis of stroke patients, technology has stepped up to find a way for those affected to not only have help with daily living but also with the rehabilitation process.

“ The main advantage of robotic therapy is to enable individuals to receive more therapy. While some robotic technologies are designed for caregiving, others focus on training or provide other rehabilitative tools.” (Goldberg, 2011) They are testing robotic gait-training on disabled patients to see if it would replace the need for a physical therapist. Robot assisted gait training is just one of the tools used to restore walking ability by using software to adjust robotic arms through detectors adjusting to the patient’s needs and capabilities. The patient is securely put in a harness eliminating fall risk and the need for assistance to stand. Patients in wheelchairs are also able to use this equipment at their own pace and ability level making it a popular choice and has various many costly options of gait trainers.

“The lower-limb robot still faces numerous technological challenges, including the biomechanics, neurophysiology, human-computer interaction, and ergonomics. The Hybrid Assistive Limb is a wearable lower-limb rehabilitation robot developed by the University of Tsukuba, Japan. The original purpose of the device was to assist patients with lower-limb motor dysfunction to complete the routine activities such as walking, standing, sitting, and going up and downstairs. At present, a fifth generation of the products has been developed, a whole-body wearable robot, which can assist the upper and lower limb movement.” (Zhang, Yue, & Wang, 2017) Some incredible devices have been made in recent years after numerous versions, giving the patient the ability to be completely mobile.

 

Studies have been done to see how well robotic rehabilitation works. “Most studies were done on patients that had a stroke 6 months prior and had a physical impairment of an upper limb. They were testing and comparing therapies; robot-assisted therapy, usual care, and intensive comparison therapy. The results for robot-assisted therapy was better than just the usual care but worse than those receiving intensive comparison therapy.” (Lo, May 13, 2013) The testing was also done on stroke patients to see if it would replace the need for a physical therapist in the rehabilitation process. Results showing the need for technological advancement in this field is still needed securing jobs in the physical therapy field at least for the time being.

Upper limb therapy is another area that robotics has attempted to assist with. ILC or Iterative Learning Control is a process of performing a task repetitively by a trial by trial process. This is technique used for rehabilitation after stroke. “Regaining upper limb movement is an important step in a return to independence after stroke, but the prognosis for such recovery has remained poor. Rehabilitation robotics provides the opportunity for repetitive task-oriented movement practice reflecting the importance of such intense practice demonstrated by conventional therapeutic research and motor learning theory.” (Burridge, Freeman, & Rodgers, June 26, 2015)

In conclusion, stroke patients have had numerous breakthroughs in technology to assist in daily living as well as rehabilitation and although some are costly or outdated, the need for robot-assisted therapy is still there. Studies have shown that at this time intensive comparison therapy is still the better option over robotics therapy, but robotic therapy works better than the usual care that a patient receives. Hopefully one day in the future those that have become disabled due to a stroke are able to use robotics in a way that can not only improve their quality of life, but also able to do some physical therapies on their own and become completely mobile.

 

 

Bibliography

Burridge, J. H., Freeman, C. T., & Rodgers, E. (June 26, 2015). Iterative Learning Control for Electrical Stimulation and Stroke Rehabilitation. Springer.
• ILC is the process of performing a task repetitively by a trial by trial process. Shows how the technique can be used for rehabilitation after stroke.
Goldberg, M. L. (2011). Rehabilitation Robots. In Depth.
• They are testing robotic gait training on disabled patients to see if it would replace the need for a physical therapist. Talking about therapists still having jobs for many years due to the need for technological advancement in this area still needing to be tried and tested.
Lo, A. C. (May 13, 2013). Robot-Assisted Therapy for Long-Term Upper-Limb Impairment after Stroke. The New England Journal of Medicine.
• Robotic therapy was introduced to help improve the quality of life stroke patients. Most studies were done on patients that had a stroke 6 months prior and had a physical impairment of an upper limb. They were testing and comparing therapies; robot-assisted therapy, usual care, and intensive comparison therapy. The results for robot-assisted therapy was better than just the usual care but worse than those receiving intensive comparison therapy.

Science, N. H. (July 2, 2017). UNIST Engineers Robotic Device Helping Stroke Survivors Recover.
• Stroke leading cause of long term disability. Spasticity is a muscle control disorder.

Zhang, X., Yue, Z., & Wang, J. (2017). Robotics in Lower-Limb Rehabilitation after Stroke. Behavioral Technology.
• With increase in the elderly, stroke has become a common disease, often leading to motor dysfunction and even permanent disability. Hybrid assistive limb is a rehabilitation robot used for lower limb.

 

Burridge, Jane H. ; Freeman, Chris T. ; Rodgers, Eric “Iterative Learning Control for Electrical Stimulation and Stroke Rehabilitation ” June 26, 2015

 

Goldberg, Mary L. “Rehabilitation Robots” , In-Depth, July 2011

 

Lo, Albert C. “Robot-Assisted Therapy for Long-Term Upper-Limb Impairment after Stroke”, The New England Journal of Medicine, May 13, 2010

 

NewsRx Health & Science “UNIST engineers robotic device helping stroke survivors recover”, July 2, 2017

 

Zhang, Xue; Yue, Zen; Wang, Jing “Robotics in Lower-Limb Rehabilitation after Stroke”, 2017