New robot helps old people with frailty to walk without fear of falls
Getting on in years means not being as light on one's feet as in the past, but also, for some, the risk of debilitating falls, which can be even more dangerous for those who live alone.
With all that in mind, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engineers have made a robot to help elderly people remain at home for longer and avoid having to either pay for care or depend on family for assistance with standing and sitting.
"All the demographic trends point to a shortage of caregivers, a surplus of elderly persons and a strong desire for elderly persons to age in place," said MIT's Roberto Bolli.
The MIT team said they have built and tested what they call e-bar, the Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot, which the university described as "designed to physically support the elderly and prevent them from falling as they move around their homes."
"Many older adults underestimate the risk of fall and refuse to use physical aids, which are cumbersome, while others overestimate the risk and may not exercise, leading to declining mobility," said Harry Asada of MIT.
The contraption entails "robotic handlebars" that follow the user, who, the MIT team said, can in turn "walk independently or lean on the robot's arms for support."
"The robot can support the person's full weight, lifting them from sitting to standing and vice versa along a natural trajectory. And the arms of the robot can catch them by rapidly inflating side airbags if they begin to fall," the researchers continued.
'Our design concept is to provide older adults having balance impairment with robotic handlebars for stabilizing their body. The handlebars go anywhere and provide support anytime, whenever they need," Asada explained.
The prototype is operated by remote control, but the team aims to create a smaller, more nimble update that is automated to detect a user's movement and follow him or her around.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Put the paintbrush down – AI can restore artworks quicker and better
Artificial intelligence (AI) could spell the end of art restoration by humans after MIT showed that damaged paintings can be repaired in just a few hours. Typically, conservators spend months or years researching and matching paints, colours and techniques to ensure the finished product is as close to the original as possible. But Alex Kachkine, an engineering graduate at MIT, has shown it is possible to use AI to fill in the damaged areas digitally, then print the restored layers onto a thin film to attach on top of the painting. It means the painting appears restored even though the original is still intact beneath. The method was applied to a highly damaged 15th-century oil painting, and AI immediately identified 5,612 separate regions in need of repair, and filled in these regions using 57,314 different colours. The entire process, from start to finish, took just three and a half hours. 'There is a lot of damaged art in storage that might never be seen,' said Mr Kachkine. 'Hopefully with this new method, there's a chance we'll see more art, which I would be delighted by.' In recent years, digital restoration tools have allowed conservators to create virtual representations of restored works. AI algorithms can quickly sift through huge amounts of data about artists and time periods to generate a digitally restored version of a particular painting, in a way that closely resembles the correct style. However, digital restorations are usually displayed virtually or printed as stand-alone works and until now there has never been a way to translate the digital restorations on to the original work. The new technique involves first scanning the painting and then using software to create maps of the areas that require repair, before matching the correct colours. The maps are then inkjet printed onto two sheets of a film. One film, which sits underneath, is printed in white so that the colours overlaid on the second sheet are not muddied by the colours of the original painting. The layers are carefully aligned and overlaid by hand onto the original painting and adhered with a thin spray of varnish. The printed films are made from materials that can be easily dissolved with conservation-grade solutions, in case conservators need to reveal the original, damaged work. The digital file of the mask can also be saved as a detailed record of what was restored. For the painting that Mr Kachkine used, the method was able to fill in thousands of losses in just a few hours. 'A few years ago, I was restoring this baroque Italian painting with probably the same order magnitude of losses, and it took me nine months of part-time work,' he said. 'The more losses there are, the better this method is.' The new technique may even help restore botched restorations such as Elias Garcia Martinez's Ecce Homo, which was restored so badly it was dubbed Monkey Christ, because of the Simian features of Jesus. Mr Kachkine acknowledges that there were ethical issues to consider, in terms of whether a restored version was an appropriate representation of an artist's original style and intent. He said the process should be carried out in consultation with conservators with knowledge of a painting's history and origins to check the AI programme was not going off-piste. 'Restoring a painting is fun, and it's great to sit down and infill things and have a nice evening,' he added 'But that's a very slow process.' The research was published in Nature. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
UMass, MIT team tune up WMass bridge with new 3D-printing tech
AMHERST — A UMass Amherst and MIT team have successfully strengthened an aging bridge in Great Barrington with cutting-edge 3D printing, the university announced Thursday. The 3D-printing technique is called cold spray, and it was applied to the bridge last month in a proof-of-concept demonstration. The technique is expected to reduce the cost of repair key structures, like bridges, while also minimizing traffic disruptions. Led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology mechanical engineering department, the team worked on the 1949 'Red Bridge,' formerly called the 'Brown Bridge.' 'Now that we've completed this proof-of-concept repair, we see a clear path to a solution that is much faster, less costly, easier, and less invasive,' said Simos Gerasimidis, UMass associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and a principal investigator on the project. The cold spray technique involves an on-site 3D printer spraying high-velocity metal particles onto bridge beams. Repeated spraying restores thickness and structural integrity. This method has used on submarines, airplanes and ships. The bridge test was a first, the researchers say. Bridges present unique challenges due to their size and because the 3D printer must be brought on site. About half of American 623,218 bridges are deteriorated. Other project partners include the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. 'Any time you drive, you go under or over a corroded bridge,' Gerasimidis said. 'They are everywhere. It's impossible to avoid, and their condition often shows significant deterioration. We know the numbers.' Across the U.S. 49% of the nation's bridges are only in 'fair' condition and 6.8% are rated 'poor,' according to the 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. The projected cost to restore them exceeds $191 billion. Roughly 9% of Massachusetts's 5,295 bridges are structurally deficient and require repair—a need that far outpaces available funding. Read the original article on MassLive.
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business Wire
Phare Bio and MIT Named to Fast Company 's 2025 World Changing Ideas List
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fast Company has named Phare Bio, a biotech social venture, and MIT's Collins Lab, to its 2025 World Changing Ideas list for their breakthrough use of generative AI to design entirely novel antibiotics – a paradigm-shifting approach in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Phare Bio and the Collins Lab's generative AI platform marks a significant leap forward in drug discovery, enabling researchers to design antibiotics in silico with unprecedented precision and speed. By layering multiple drug parameters into the design process – such as reducing toxicity or improving oral bioavailability – the platform can produce tailored antibiotic candidates with real-world clinical relevance. This year's recognition follows a major milestone in September 2024, when Phare Bio and the Collins Lab received an up to $27 million grant from ARPA-H to enhance this generative AI design capability and build a pipeline of 15 novel antibiotics tailored to meet global public health needs. 'We believe generative AI is not just accelerating drug discovery – it's redefining what's possible,' said Dr. Akhila Kosaraju, CEO and President of Phare Bio. 'To be named to Fast Company's World Changing Ideas list is an incredible honor, and a reflection of what happens when breakthrough science, technology and a commitment to real-world impact converge.' Building off of the Collins Lab's first-ever discovery of a novel antibiotic using AI, Phare Bio's goal is simple and urgent: to design smarter antibiotics for the patients who need them most. 'This recognition is deeply meaningful for Phare Bio and our lab at MIT,' said Dr. Jim Collins, Co-founder of Phare Bio, Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering & Science and Professor of Biological Engineering at MIT. 'Over the past decade, our team has worked at the forefront of artificial intelligence and synthetic biology to chart a new era in antibiotic discovery. We're excited to see this work scale into a global movement to reinvigorate antibiotic innovation.' 'The World Changing Ideas Awards have always been about showcasing the art of the possible,' says Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief at Fast Company. 'We're proud to recognize the organizations and leaders that are making meaningful progress on the biggest issues of our time.' By combining deep learning, data-driven design, and open-access collaboration, Phare Bio and the Collins Lab are creating a new gold standard for how antibiotics are discovered and developed. About Phare Bio Phare Bio is a social venture using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop novel classes of antibiotics in partnership with Jim Collins' lab at MIT. Founded in 2020 to address the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance, Phare Bio is a recipient of the Audacious Project, a collaborative funding initiative between TED and leading nonprofits to support bold solutions to global challenges. The company combines cutting-edge machine learning with world-class science to accelerate the discovery of urgently needed antibiotics. To learn more, visit or email info@
