Volume 5, Number 4     July/August 1997

  Technology Transfer

Robot Will Assist the Elderly and Infirmed

.S. SENATE MANUFACTURING TASK FORCE members saw first-hand the effectiveness of public/private sector commercialization partnering during a Capitol Hill visit from HelpMate Robotics Inc.'s (HRI) HelpMate courier robot—a high technology product that, with the help of NASA technologies, will evolve into a robot capable of assisting the elderly and infirmed.

NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin joined U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Connecticut), Task Force co-chairman; HRI Chairman Dr. Joseph Engelberger, National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC) President Dr. David Moran and UNISPHERE President Allen Paul in demonstrating the new robotic technology at a recent Task Force briefing.

Senator Lieberman said the HelpMate project illustrates the complex process of innovation and highlights the successes that can be achieved through key partnerships.

NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, HRI Chairman Joseph Engelberger and U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman with the HelpMate Courier Robot at a recent U.S. Senate Manufacturing Task Force briefing.

"I believe the federal government should continue to play an important role in the nurturing of science and technology," Senator Lieberman said. "This support must take into account the inherent complexity of the innovative cycle and the new reality of the ultra-competitive global economy. Accordingly, scarce federal funds should be leveraged through cooperative partnerships between industry [sic], universities and federal labs."

Moran illustrated Senator Lieberman's point on the importance of partnerships through a presentation on NASA-funded NTTC activities. Moran said NTTC is a full-service technology commercialization center offering U.S. industries a wide range of services from professional development courses in technology commercialization and technology assessments to public/private sector partnership opportunities and access tools to technology information from more than 700 federal laboratories.

NTTC and UNISPHERE, an NTTC partner that matches high-tech U.S. products with overseas markets, are working with HRI to help develop NASA technology for the next generation of working robots. Paul said UNISPHERE's work with HRI has led to exciting possibilities that demonstrate his group's goal to help make U.S. companies competitive worldwide.

The Task Force saw a demonstration of HRI's courier robot. More than 80 U.S., 11 European and 18 Japanese hospitals are employing HelpMates to transport routine materials. HelpMate avoids fixed or moving obstacles as it travels. It calls and rides elevators by itself and communicates its instructions in any language. A HelpMate relieves valuable professionals for more productive activities for about $6 per hour.

HRI and NASA are developing the next-generation robot, the two-Armed, Mobile, Sensate, Research Robot. While NASA will use the prototype for terrestrial experiments for the Space Station, HRI sees it as an elder care robot that will help older people care for themselves, rather than be hospitalized, for about $1 per hour.

For more information about HelpMate, contact Dr. Joseph Engelberber.
Call 203/798-8988 Fax 203/791-1082

For more information about NTTC,
Call 800/678-6882 or visit http://www.nttc.edu

For more information about UNISPHERE, contact Karen Friedman
Call 202/588-9000 Fax: 202/588-9200 http://www.Unisphere.com

Please mention you read about it in Innovation.