Intelligent bed robot equipped with pressure sensor-provided mattress and gripper-provided supporting robot arm

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an intelligent bed robot. The intelligent bed robot includes a pressure sensor-provided mattress, an intelligent robot arm, transfer rails, and at least one gripper. The pressure sensor-provided mattress monitors the position, posture and motion of a user on a bed in real time, and assists the user. The intelligent robot arm includes vertical bars disposed on two opposite sides of the bed and configured to have a predetermined length, a horizontal bar configured to connect the vertical bars to each other, and torque sensors disposed at lower ends of the vertical bar, and measures horizontal and vertical forces applied by the user. The transfer rails guide the intelligent robot arm along a path of movement. The gripper is coupled to the horizontal bar of the intelligent robot arm, and is provided with a finger unit capable of picking up an object.

1 . An intelligent bed robot, comprising:
 a pressure sensor-provided mattress configured to monitor a position, posture and motion of a user on a bed in real time, and assisting the user;   an intelligent robot arm configured to comprise vertical bars disposed on two opposite sides of the bed and configured to have a predetermined length, a horizontal bar configured to connect the vertical bars to each other, and torque sensors disposed at lower ends of the vertical bar, and to measure horizontal and vertical forces applied by the user;   transfer rails configured to guide the intelligent robot arm along a path of movement; and   at least one gripper coupled to the horizontal bar of the intelligent robot arm so that it can move horizontally along the horizontal bar and rotate around the horizontal bar, and provided with a finger unit capable of picking up an object.   
   
   
       2 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a control box for reading pressure values of the pressure sensors by sequentially scanning the pressure sensors using a multiplexer, and delivering data about the pressure values to a main computer in a pressure measurement distribution image form. 
   
   
       3 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the robot arm has two operation modes, including a follow mode, in which the user can control the robot arm using his or her command so as to obtain support means using the robot, and a support mode, in which the user's body is secured and supported using the acquired support means. 
   
   
       4 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the follow mode conducts work using a fuzzy network. 
   
   
       5 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal bar has a central separation element so that a length of the horizontal bar can vary with relative locations of the vertical bars. 
   
   
       6 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor-provided mattress monitors a person on a bed using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) algorithm, the PCA algorithm performing:
 a first step of determining a human's recognition target pattern and relating pressure sensor dataset for pattern classification;   a second step of extracting feature points by calculating covariance of the pressure sensor data;   a third step of determining a number of feature points capable of maximizing information classification between respective pieces of pattern data; and   a fourth step of performing pattern recognition by comparing new incoming pressure sensor data with predetermined feature points.   
   
   
       7 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in any one of  claims 1  to  6 , wherein the robot arm works in a command mode of conducting operations in response to the user's command, which includes user's voice, and in an automatic mode of conducting work according to a predetermined work command. 
   
   
       8 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the horizontal bar has a ball screw disposed therein along a length of the horizontal bar; and   the gripper includes:   a first gear structure provided with threads so that the first gear structure can guide the gripper through linear movement in conjunction with the ball screw;   a second gear structure formed of a worm gear that works in conjunction with the first gear structure so that the gripper can rotate around the horizontal bar; and   a third gear structure configured such that the finger unit can conduct work of picking up an object.   
   
   
       9 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein the ball screw and the first gear structure work in conjunction with each other along a longitudinal hole that is formed along the length of the horizontal bar. 
   
   
       10 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the finger unit has a shape of a human hand, includes a stationary first finger and a movable second finger, and performs work of gripping an object through overlapping of the first and second fingers. 
   
   
       11 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the first finger is provided with an accommodation part so that the first finger can accommodate the second finger when the first finger and the second finger overlap each other. 
   
   
       12 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the first finger and the second finger have respective rubber portions that come into contact with an object. 
   
   
       13 . The intelligent bed robot as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the intelligent bed robot is controlled using a Controller Area Network (CAN) device.