Researchers develop assistive robot to prevent falls and assist in physiotherapy for the elderly
Medical Xpress September 7, 2022
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) have developed a wearable assistive robot that can detect and prevent a fall before it happens, reducing the user’s risk of sustaining injuries.
The development of the robot, which can also be used to aid patients’ rehabilitation from their injuries, was catalyzed by the National Robotics Program, a multi-agency national program that looks at the end-to-end development of differentiating robotics enablers and solutions in Singapore, from funding R&D to facilitating partnerships for translation and adoption to maximize socio-economic impact.
Called the Mobile Robotic Balance Assistant or MRBA (pronounced “Mister-Bah”), the robot uses its inbuilt sensors to instantaneously detect a loss of balance and catches the user...