Desenvolvimento de um Robô Assistente Pessoal para Aprimorar a Autonomia e Qualidade de Vida de Idosos com Limitações Motoras

Abstract

The global phenomenon of population aging, responsible for the significant increase in the elderly population in Brazil, demands the search for ways to address the challenges affecting the quality of life of the elderly. Among the characteristics of this population segment, the incidence of motor disabilities and lack of companionship stand out. In the face of this reality, solutions that utilize assistive robotics (AR), a research area exploring the use of robots to support human users in elderly care, become increasingly relevant. In this context, this work proposes the development of a personal assistant robot aimed at providing support for the care of this population segment within the home environment. The robot is designed to perform specific tasks such as following a user, fetching objects, and answering questions through voice commands, offering interactive companionship, as well as alleviating physical strain and preventing potential falls or motor injuries. To achieve this, the robot features not only electromechanical resources but also applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision. The obtained results demonstrated a satisfactory interaction between the robot and the environment, highlighting the system's ability to track users, detect objects, and provide coherent responses to voice commands. Despite physical and structural challenges, the collected results still suggest that the developed robot could offer a supportive alternative to the challenges faced by this population segment in the home environment.