Development of a modular intelligent care capsule robot for the elderly in response to an aging society with a light actuator.

In this paper, we propose a design for a capsule-type caring robot (CTCR) for the elderly. The CTCR is designed with the aim of reducing the burden of care of caregivers and is intended for home use. A modular design was employed to reduce the overall weight and size of the CTCR. The design consists of a “convenience capsule” part and a “driving locomotion” part to enhance the applicability of the CTCR. The former comprises an intelligent monitoring device capable of continuously monitoring a user’s condition, and devices to assist with tasks such as washing, acupressure, and defecation. Differential planetary gears, permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs), and omni-directional wheels all help to ensure the CTCR is of light weight design and able to navigate confined spaces easily.