This personal assistant robot replaces a table setting for people with limited dexterity.
Consumer robotics company Desin developed the Obi to help people with physical disabilities feed themselves, using their feet, head, or mouth instead of their hands. The robot uses a “Teach Mode” to determine where a user’s mouth is located. The arm is manually moved by an operator or assistant – presumably, the Obi needs to learn this anew if it’s put on a table or the user moves. But after it’s set once, it remembers that movement, and can be activated by the user, allowing them to feed themselves at their own pace. In order to prevent accidental activation, it also features collision detection.
The user can choose from food in four different bowls, controlling when he or she lifts the robot’s arm. Standard 4.5 mm headphone jacks can be used to attach the Obi to a variety of other common accessibility devices. The arm requires only two commands, one to select a particular bowl and the other to extend the arm, and the switches to control these can be ordered separately if one does not already have an accessibility-appropriate activation switch.
The attached plates and spoons can be washed, microwaved, or frozen just like conventional dishes. The robot itself is water resistant, but not water proof, and the company recommends that one take as much consideration with it as one would with a computer. It can be cleaned with a sanitary wipe or damp wash cloth if it gets messy. The Obi runs on internal batteries, which last two to four hours before needing a charge.
Currently, the Obi is retailing for $4,500, with additional costs for switches that can be placed in various configurations depending on the end user’s degree of mobility.
