This project looks to design, build and program a small mobile robot that, without supervision, can interact with members of the public.
Postdoctoral fellow: Dr. Thomas Degris, Computing Sciences, University of Alberta
Lead faculty member: Dr. Richard Sutton, Computing Sciences, University of Alberta
Design, build, and program a small mobile robot at the University of Alberta that can interact successfully, without supervision, with members of the public visiting the Courage Center at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton. Robotics is playing an increasing role in multiple aspects of rehabilitative medicine, including prosthetics, mobility aids, and patient-adapted physical therapy. The Courage Center is a new facility for demonstrating and showcasing such applications of technology in rehabilitative medicine to the public. One of the key challenges is for the robot to interact with patients in a natural and engaging manner without continual supervision. Fielding a mobile robot in the Courage Center will provide a challenging test site and will provide opportunities to investigate the technological, social, and medical challenges in applying robotic technology to rehabilitative medicine. Technology transfer will also be supported by the AICML.