Easy and Safe Transferring from Bed to Toilet …A lift is not necessary but a supporting bar (handrail) is also not enough. Cannot move. Can move. User light Nursing care burden heavy

IDEA SYSTEM CO.,, LTD.

Japan is now a highly aging society where one outof four Japanese is an elderly person of the age 65 orhigher. Improvement of life quality of physicallyhandicapped persons in need of nursing care andreduction of burden on caretakers who support thosewho need care are big challenges that the society iscurrently facing. In particular, it is technically difficultand puts a large burden on a caretaker for a person inneed of nursing care to get up out of a bed and moveto a toilet in a safe manner. The fact that the use oftoilets, which is a part of our daily life, makes a largeburden could not only lower the quality of life (QOL)of those who need nursing care but also cause injuryof the caretakers.Since 2004 when the nursing-care insurance systembegan, the cases where caretakers had back painrecognized as worker’s compensation increasesseveral times in number and the pain was mostlycaused when they tried to lift and move a person inneed of nursing care to a toilet or bathroom. In thissituation, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfarerevised in 2013 the guideline on the prevention oflumbago in the workplace for the first time in 19years. The guideline covered nursing care facilities forelderly people which had not been covered by theprevious guideline. In the guideline, it is recommendedto use nursing equipment for transferring a person orprevent lifting up the person by yourself. Reduction ofburden on caretakers who often transfer persons inneed of nursing care is now a serious, unavoidableproblem for the nursing care of elderly.Prior to the revision of the guideline, an electronicdevice manufacturer “IDEA SYSTEM CO., LTD.” inOkaya City, Nagano Prefecture, began in 2007 todevelop new transferring equipment for transferring aperson in need of nursing care between a bed and atoilet with little burden. From FY2009, the companyaccelerated the practical development with help ofNEDO’s “Promotion project of welfare equipmentdevelopment and commercialization,” succeeded in

July 2013

commercialization of a new product in 2010, andbegan to sell the products in January 2011. More than200 new transferring equipment units developed byIDEA SYSTEM CO., LTD. are now used at hospitals andhouses mainly in Nagano Prefecture.

IDEA SYSTEM CO.,, LTD.

Easy and Safe Transferring from Bed to ToiletDevelopment of New Transferring Equipment to Support Carein a Highly Aging Society

Easy and Safe Transferring from Bed to ToiletDevelopment of New Transferring Equipment to Support Carein a Highly Aging Society

・Promotion of R&D on Practical Welfare Equipment -Development of Easy-to-use Wheelchair-type TransferringEquipment (FY2009) ,etc.

Above: Steps from bed to Norisuke-san (from left to right)Below: Danger and burden in the conventional method.(Photographs and materials from IDEA SYSTEM CO., LTD.)

Evaluation of various transferring products from a viewpoint of physical conditions of a person in need of nursing care and from a viewpoint of the burden on a caretaker

For a highly durable frame, not a single but two corners are made to disperse the load.

Positioning of transferring equipment Selection of equipment according to physical functions of usersA lift is not necessary but a supporting bar (handrail) is also not enough.

Cannot move.

Can move.

User

Nursing care burden heavylight

HandrailSupporting bar

Norisuke-san

Standing lift

Lift-up-type lift

Supportingbelt

Sliding board

Norisuke-san-User can get on it by slightly moving his/her legs up.-No need to change the body orientation.

Conventional typeThe orientation and position of the user needs to be changed to get on a wheelchair.

×-Causes back pain of caretaker.×-Causes a falling accident.

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77

ATAM Giken Co., Ltd.

　People over 65 years of age accounted for more

than 21% of Japan’s total population in 2007. While

the number of senior citizens is rising yearly, the birth

rate remains at a low level. As the burden on caregiv-

ers is expected to steadily increase in the future, there

is a pressing need for mechanization and automation

of care services at welfare facilities, hospitals and resi-

dential homes in order to reduce the workload of

caregivers

　However, the development and introduction of

products designed for welfare services have not made

significant progress due to an insufficient market size

and new product development risk.

　Against this backdrop, ATAM Giken Co., Ltd.

launched basic surveys on welfare equipment in the

early 2000s with the aim of making welfare services

the mainstream of its new businesses. As a result, in

order to reduce the amount of work needed for care-

givers to wash wheelchairs and mattresses, automatic

machines were developed under NEDO’s Promotion

of R&D on Practical Welfare Equipment project.

　Because many wheelchairs are rented, they need to

look new at the time of rental. It also takes more than

one week for washed mattresses to completely dry in

the sun. ATAM Giken was able to overcome these

challenges by reflecting on the opinions of medical

experts and wheelchair and mattress users through a

process of trial and error. The machines it developed

have been put into practical use, and 60 wheelchair

washers, 160 wheelchair wheel washers and more

than 10 mattress washer-dryers are being utilized at

nursing homes and hospitals throughout Japan.

January 2013

Automatic Wheelchair and Mattress Washing Machines That Reduce the Burden of CaregiversAutomatic Wheelchair and Mattress Washing Machines That Reduce the Burden of Caregivers

ATAM Giken Co., Ltd.

・Promotion of R&D on Pract ical Wel fare Equipment Development of High-speed Automatic Machines for Wa sh i n g , D i s i n f e c t i n g a nd D r y i n g Whee l c h a i r s (FY2005‒FY2006) ,etc.

Mattress washer-dryer

Wheelchair wheel washer “Piccaler”

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78

Kawamura Gishi Co., Ltd.

　The number of patients with hemiplegia, or total paralysis of the arm, leg and trunk on the same side of the body caused by stroke or other illness, is on the rise with a growing aging population. In light of the further aging of society that is expected in the coming years, there is a need to develop better braces and rehabilitation methods for those with this condition who have disabilities in their limbs. One of the most common support braces used by hemiplegic patients is a short lower-limb brace that supports and holds the ankle in place. The general idea has been that the ankle needs to be fixed in place because the toes of such patients are unable to rise sufficiently during gait and thus drag on the ground. However, it has been found that hemiplegic patients have difficulty walking because they are unable to use the muscle strength in their shins properly. 　With funding provided through NEDO’s Promotion of R&D on Practical Welfare Equipment project, Kawanishi Gishi Co., Ltd., Japan’ s largest prosthesis manufacturer, has developed a new type of short low-er-limb brace. Called the “Gait Solution Design,” this new brace is different in that it supports the muscle strength of the shin. “Gait” refers to the pattern of movement in the limbs while walking, and with the Gait Solution Design, the incorporation of a small oil pressure damper at the ankle of the device provides the function of supporting the braking force. The unique design, which allows the device to be worn in most shoes, has been well-received by hemiplegic patients throughout Japan. As of October 2010, about 300 Gait Solution (a previous model) and Gait Solu-tion Design devices were being sold each month. The device has started to attract interest for its potential to improve the walking of hemiplegic patients, which has been considered difficult to date.

October 2010

Kawamura Gishi Co., Ltd.

Improved Short Lower-limb Brace Offers Patients Better Walking ComfortImproved Short Lower-limb Brace Offers Patients Better Walking Comfort

・Promotion of R&D on Practical Welfare Equipment Development of a Short Lower-limb Brace with Dorsal Flexion Support Function for Hemiplagia (FY2000‒FY2001) ,etc.

Gait Solution Design can be worn with most shoes

Features of the Gait Solution Design brace

The body is made of titanium, a lightweight, strong and durable material.The device is easy to wear and remove as it can be moved forward.

Small hydraulic pressure damper with anterior tibial muscle functionCan be adjusted between 2 nm and 20 nm to fit the user

Shoes can be worn by reducing the size of the part surrounding the foot

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CYBERDYNE Inc.

Japan is rapidly heading towards an aging society ata rate not seen elsewhere in the world. Everyonehopes that if they should become disabled in onerespect or another, they will still be able to be activein their daily lives. Of great interest toward this end isrobot technology, a technology sector in which Japanexcels. Today, there is great enthusiasm in the poten-tial of robot technology, as it can help support physi-cal functions, reduce the burden of caregivers, andimprove other aspects of daily life.CYBERDYNE, a venture company incubated at

Tsukuba University, has developed Robot Suit HAL®(Hybrid Assistive Limb®), a robot that can expand andimprove the range a human’s physical capability. It isthe first wearable robot that assists the movement ofwalking by “reading” the wearer’ s intention to walk.By applying the results of many years of research byTsukuba University as well as NEDO research anddevelopment projects, CYBERDYNE has established aunique control system that combines a cybernic volun-tary control system which interprets the intention of ahuman by detecting biosignals (nerve signals sent fromthe brain to the muscles via motor neurons) andmoves the body accordingly, and a cybernic autono-mous control system which realizes the motions ofhuman beings.After clearing hurdles to practical application of the

technology through user demonstration tests andsafety and regulatory reviews, the company startedrenting and selling Robot Suit HAL® directly to medicaland nursing facilities in 2010. As of March 2012, about300 robots were assisting those with disabilitiesthroughout Japan. With guidance from physicians andphysiotherapists, the robots are being used to supportthe gait of elderly persons with weak leg muscles andimprove the daily lives of people with motor functionproblems in the lower limbs due to illness and injury.

January 2011

Robot Suit HAL®: Reading Intention to Support PhysicalFunctions and Improve Quality of LifeRobot Suit HAL®: Reading Intention to Support PhysicalFunctions and Improve Quality of Life

CYBERDYNE Inc.

・Project for Practical Application of Next-generation Robots(FY2004‒FY2005) ,etc.

Training at HAL FIT®facility inside CYBERDYNE studio in Tsukuba City

External view of Robot Suit HAL®

Robot・

Welfare Equipm

ent

80

1

2

CASE

03Reported in：January,

February 2016

Success Story

3 4

12

Smart Support Technologies Inc. / Hokkaido UniversityDevelopment Support Project for Practical Application of Problem-Solving Welfare Equipment, etc.

Making work easier for farmers

In recent years, the automation of farm work has increased and much of the work that was hard on the bodies of farmers is now left to farming machinery. However, there are types of farm work that are difficult to automate, so there are still many tasks that must be performed by hand. Cultivation of heavy produce items such as watermelons and Chinese cabbage involves continuous work during which farm workers maintain a half-sitting position, which results in many suffering from lower back pain. Yoshihito Suzuki, who was originally a farming consultant, came up with the idea of developing assistive wear that could relieve the physical burden of farming work. He then consulted with Takayuki Tanaka, an associate professor

at Hokkaido University and a researcher in the field of robot engineering. They soon started to develop a powered support suit and then completed a proto-type named Test Model Number Zero. In order to produce and sell the support suit, Mr. Suzuki established Smart Support Technologies Inc. However, it was found that assistive wear employing external power had many problems in practical use. For practical application, assistive wear has to be able to be used both indoors and outdoors, so it is necessary to insure safe operation of the power source under various conditions such as in rain and dust. As the number of processes and cost for developing the assistive wear grew, a large amount of time was required for practical application. So, even if the assistive wear could be realized, it would

inevitably be expensive, unreasonably bulky, and generally difficult to use. After considering the situation, Mr. Suzuki suggested to Professor Tanaka that the power supply be removed, but Professor Tanaka was hesitant. In the end, the power supply was removed. In the beginning, product development was started to make farming work easier. The purpose was not to make the product excessively powerful, but to reduce the workload of farmers. In the process of removing the power supply, the neces-sary performance and technology were carefully selected, which led to the concept of “workload reduction”. Work-load reduction is the act of making the work performed by workers easier. This reduces fatigue and the burden on the body, and it is the actual technology that reduces the risk of lower back pain.

1. A smart suit developed using technologies such as robotic engineering, elastic materials, and motion analysis. (Photo provided by Associate Professor Takayuki Tanaka) 2. A watermelon farm in Furano, Hokkaido. Wearing a smart suit reduces the workload when harvesting watermelons. (Photo provided by Associate Professor Takayuki Tanaka) 3. A musculoskeletal model used in the development of the smart suit. It shows a simulation of the force exerted on the body. 4. Over 100 test models were created and demonstrated.

Reducing the Fatigue of Agricultural and Care WorkDevelopment of the Smart SuitRobot・Welfare

Equipment

Topics CASE 03 Robot・Welfare Equipment

Advocacy of the Three S’s of Assistance

SecureSafe

assistance

SustainableAssistance that

maintainsbody functions

Subliminal

6

7

For The Future

5

13

Demonstration of highly effective test models at local sites leads to practical application

Mr. Suzuki thought that if his assistive wear could support farm work, then it could also be used in care facilities where workers perform many tasks in a half-sitting position. Therefore, he applied to participate in NEDO’s Project for Supporting Practical Development of Problem-Solving Assistive Technology in 2009. NEDO agreed to the concept of workload reduction and gave its support to Mr. Suzuki. He was then able to make progress with smart suit assistive wear that does not employ a power source in order to reduce the amount of labor in care work. During the development work, musculo-skeletal modelling software incorporating a mathematical model was used to simulate the force exerted on the body when rubber material is stretched. As a result, a smart suit could be designed, but it was not clear if the test model could easily be used by care workers. Over 100 test models were produced, and their effectiveness was empirically verified. Among these, the most effective models were used, resulting in the completion of a smart suit prototype. In 2011, it was decided that the smart suit would be adopted in NEDO’s Innovation Promotion Project. The prototype model was used at farms and nursing homes in Hokkaido, and users were surveyed about their impressions using it, which was used as feedback for further development. Again in 2012, the smart suit was employed in NEDO’s Project for Supporting Practi-cal Development of Problem-Solving Assistive Technology, and demonstrations

were carried out in collaboration with intensive care nursing homes. During the demonstrations, the risk of reduced physical strength due to extreme muscle support was considered, and it was confirmed that using the suit did not decrease the physical abilities of care workers when performing their duties. As a result, the smart suit finally achieved practical application in 2013.

Continuing to make improvements in response to user requests

Improvements have continuously been made to the product, with an emphasis on the feedback of users, even after the smart suit went on sale. By continuing to perform follow-up surveys with users, it was found that the smart suit was being used in a wide range of industries in addition to farming and nursing care, such as factory work and distribution. In the future, use of the smart suit is expected to spread along with the concept of workload reduction.

■Project for Supporting Practical Development of Problem-solving Assistive Technology(FY2009-FY2010, FY2012) NEDO’s Role

When targets for a grant project are selected, in order for NEDO to promote practical application of assistive wear that further conforms to the needs of society:(1) The assistive product to be selected for research and development must be novel, and research and development compo-nents and products having the same function or appearance must not already exist.

(2) The project must involve research and development elements and conform to the purpose of the grant in order to meet user needs.(3) Development for practical application is expected to generate concrete results, such as support for nursing care, indepen-dence, social rehabilitation, and improve-ment in alternative functions of the body. Companies for a grant project are selected

by considering their products in terms of the market scale and economic advan-tages for users. In addition to verifying the status of activities carried out by subsidized compa-nies, NEDO provides such companies with a wide variety of assistance based on the needs of markets and users, including business matching and facilitating their participation in exhibitions.

Casual assistancethat does notreduce feeling

5. The concept of workload reduction refers to making the work performed by workers easier.

6. Associate Professor Takayuki Tanaka (left) and Mr. Yoshihito Suzuki (right). 7. A worker wearing a smart suit under her white uniform performing activities at a nursing home, where a lot of work requires body movement.

1

2

CASE

03Reported in：January,

February 2016

Success Story

3 4

12

Smart Support Technologies Inc. / Hokkaido UniversityDevelopment Support Project for Practical Application of Problem-Solving Welfare Equipment, etc.

Making work easier for farmers

In recent years, the automation of farm work has increased and much of the work that was hard on the bodies of farmers is now left to farming machinery. However, there are types of farm work that are difficult to automate, so there are still many tasks that must be performed by hand. Cultivation of heavy produce items such as watermelons and Chinese cabbage involves continuous work during which farm workers maintain a half-sitting position, which results in many suffering from lower back pain. Yoshihito Suzuki, who was originally a farming consultant, came up with the idea of developing assistive wear that could relieve the physical burden of farming work. He then consulted with Takayuki Tanaka, an associate professor

at Hokkaido University and a researcher in the field of robot engineering. They soon started to develop a powered support suit and then completed a proto-type named Test Model Number Zero. In order to produce and sell the support suit, Mr. Suzuki established Smart Support Technologies Inc. However, it was found that assistive wear employing external power had many problems in practical use. For practical application, assistive wear has to be able to be used both indoors and outdoors, so it is necessary to insure safe operation of the power source under various conditions such as in rain and dust. As the number of processes and cost for developing the assistive wear grew, a large amount of time was required for practical application. So, even if the assistive wear could be realized, it would

inevitably be expensive, unreasonably bulky, and generally difficult to use. After considering the situation, Mr. Suzuki suggested to Professor Tanaka that the power supply be removed, but Professor Tanaka was hesitant. In the end, the power supply was removed. In the beginning, product development was started to make farming work easier. The purpose was not to make the product excessively powerful, but to reduce the workload of farmers. In the process of removing the power supply, the neces-sary performance and technology were carefully selected, which led to the concept of “workload reduction”. Work-load reduction is the act of making the work performed by workers easier. This reduces fatigue and the burden on the body, and it is the actual technology that reduces the risk of lower back pain.

1. A smart suit developed using technologies such as robotic engineering, elastic materials, and motion analysis. (Photo provided by Associate Professor Takayuki Tanaka) 2. A watermelon farm in Furano, Hokkaido. Wearing a smart suit reduces the workload when harvesting watermelons. (Photo provided by Associate Professor Takayuki Tanaka) 3. A musculoskeletal model used in the development of the smart suit. It shows a simulation of the force exerted on the body. 4. Over 100 test models were created and demonstrated.

Reducing the Fatigue of Agricultural and Care WorkDevelopment of the Smart SuitRobot・Welfare

Equipment

Topics CASE 03 Robot・Welfare Equipment

Advocacy of the Three S’s of Assistance

SecureSafe

assistance

SustainableAssistance that

maintainsbody functions

Subliminal

6

7

For The Future

5

13

Demonstration of highly effective test models at local sites leads to practical application

Mr. Suzuki thought that if his assistive wear could support farm work, then it could also be used in care facilities where workers perform many tasks in a half-sitting position. Therefore, he applied to participate in NEDO’s Project for Supporting Practical Development of Problem-Solving Assistive Technology in 2009. NEDO agreed to the concept of workload reduction and gave its support to Mr. Suzuki. He was then able to make progress with smart suit assistive wear that does not employ a power source in order to reduce the amount of labor in care work. During the development work, musculo-skeletal modelling software incorporating a mathematical model was used to simulate the force exerted on the body when rubber material is stretched. As a result, a smart suit could be designed, but it was not clear if the test model could easily be used by care workers. Over 100 test models were produced, and their effectiveness was empirically verified. Among these, the most effective models were used, resulting in the completion of a smart suit prototype. In 2011, it was decided that the smart suit would be adopted in NEDO’s Innovation Promotion Project. The prototype model was used at farms and nursing homes in Hokkaido, and users were surveyed about their impressions using it, which was used as feedback for further development. Again in 2012, the smart suit was employed in NEDO’s Project for Supporting Practi-cal Development of Problem-Solving Assistive Technology, and demonstrations

were carried out in collaboration with intensive care nursing homes. During the demonstrations, the risk of reduced physical strength due to extreme muscle support was considered, and it was confirmed that using the suit did not decrease the physical abilities of care workers when performing their duties. As a result, the smart suit finally achieved practical application in 2013.

Continuing to make improvements in response to user requests

Improvements have continuously been made to the product, with an emphasis on the feedback of users, even after the smart suit went on sale. By continuing to perform follow-up surveys with users, it was found that the smart suit was being used in a wide range of industries in addition to farming and nursing care, such as factory work and distribution. In the future, use of the smart suit is expected to spread along with the concept of workload reduction.

■Project for Supporting Practical Development of Problem-solving Assistive Technology(FY2009-FY2010, FY2012) NEDO’s Role

When targets for a grant project are selected, in order for NEDO to promote practical application of assistive wear that further conforms to the needs of society:(1) The assistive product to be selected for research and development must be novel, and research and development compo-nents and products having the same function or appearance must not already exist.

(2) The project must involve research and development elements and conform to the purpose of the grant in order to meet user needs.(3) Development for practical application is expected to generate concrete results, such as support for nursing care, indepen-dence, social rehabilitation, and improve-ment in alternative functions of the body. Companies for a grant project are selected

by considering their products in terms of the market scale and economic advan-tages for users. In addition to verifying the status of activities carried out by subsidized compa-nies, NEDO provides such companies with a wide variety of assistance based on the needs of markets and users, including business matching and facilitating their participation in exhibitions.

Casual assistancethat does notreduce feeling

5. The concept of workload reduction refers to making the work performed by workers easier.

6. Associate Professor Takayuki Tanaka (left) and Mr. Yoshihito Suzuki (right). 7. A worker wearing a smart suit under her white uniform performing activities at a nursing home, where a lot of work requires body movement.

CHIBA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

　Japan has a lot of natural disasters such as earth-quakes, tsunami, floods, and violent winds. Also, with recent progress in urbanization, threats of urban disas-ters in such as underground or in skyscraper buildings, and terrorism using harmful substances are being pointed out. While threats for such disasters continue to increase, our country having world leading advanced technology is also a superpower in creating robots. Accordingly, great expectations are being held for the popularization of robots that can perform rescue activities and gather information in places that are difficult for a human to enter, such as inside col-lapsed buildings or spaces filled with chemical sub-stances. With an aim to develop the robot industry into becoming one of the fundamental industries of our country, NEDO implemented the “Strategic Advanced Elemental Robot Technology Development Project” as part of the “Robot and New Machinery Innovation Program”. In this project, while promoting the development of a wide variety of robots including industrial robots and daily life activity supporting robots, research and development projects of a robot capable of corresponding to disasters had also been conducted. The disaster corresponding robot “Quince”, researched and developed in this project by such as the Chiba Institute of Technology and Tohoku University, is capable of remote activities in a closed disaster affected space, and has also been put to use in gathering information from inside the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant where the accident occurred due to the Great East Japan Earthquake.

February 2013

CHIBA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

A Rescue Robot Displaying High Driving Performance at Disaster Sites with Stairs and RubbleA Rescue Robot Displaying High Driving Performance at Disaster Sites with Stairs and Rubble

・“Strategic Advanced Elemental Robot Technology Development” Project (FY2006-FY2010)

“Quince” climbing stairs assuming the inside of the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant

Image of the inside of a campus building of the Chiba Institute of Technology recorded by “Quince” with a laser scanner (image courtesy of Chiba Institute of Technology fuRO)

Robot・

Welfare Equipm

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12 13

In the past, most industrial robots in assembly line settings were only able to move based on predetermined positional data so as to act as the “arms” of workers. How-ever, this project involved research, development, and commercialization of a three-dimensional vision sensor (TVS) that provides robots with the functional equivalent of the “eyes” and “brains” of workers in an effort to promote automation of assembly line production.

Bin picking robots have become able to distinguish between randomly placed product components

Industrial robots play various roles, including those associ-ated with moving and assembling product components. However, to ensure the accurate movement of robots, it has been necessary to input positional data of product components and have the components positioned in advance by workers or special-purpose machines. Based on its three-dimensional image processing technology, 3D MEDiA Company Limited, a venture company spun off from Ritsumeikan University, developed a commercial technology that enables industrial robots to “see” randomly placed product components and “decide” which one to select. 3D MEDiA developed the TVS 1.0 and 2.0 series of three-dimensional (3D) vision sensors which enable automated selection by industrial bin picking robots of randomly placed product components.

Continually improving sensors to suit all production environments

However, the original TVS series had the drawback of being unable to recognize product components stacked in a pile due to its use of contour data for product compo-nent recognition. To turn this drawback into a strength, 3D MEDiA launched research under a NEDO project from FY2013 and developed the TVS 3.0 Series, which allows the recognition of product components based on both point cloud and contour data.In measuring point clouds, patterns are projected onto a target object to determine the position of the object’s surface. In NEDO’s project, 3D MEDiA sought to clarify which projection patterns would best suit point cloud measurement. This type of measurement has enabled high-accuracy recognition of randomly placed product components as well as those stacked in a pile and hard-to-distinguish glossy or black components.The TVS Series has been used in a wide variety of indus-tries, including the automotive, steel, consumer electron-ics, and food industries. 3D MEDiA is committed to continuing its efforts to address challenges with a view toward making this series suitable for all production environments and to help foster innovation in domestic as well as overseas manufacturing industries.

Robot • Welfare Equipment

Innovation Commercialization Venture Support Project

3D MEDiA Company Limited

Three-Dimensional Vision Sensor That Gives Industrial Robots Seeing and Thinking Capabilities to Enable Automated Assembly Lines

SUCCESS STORIESNEDO PROJECT SUCCESS STORIES 2017

Top right: Recognition results displayed on computer screen

Left: Mechanism of TVS 3.0 Ser ies three-dimensional pattern recognition. While projecting patterns onto the target object, the system com-pares captured and recog-nized images with a registered 3D CAD model using both point cloud and contour data. (Data courtesy of 3D MEDiA Company Limited)

Bottom right: Demonstration of selecting randomly placed product components

Giving Industrial Robots the Ability to Vision and Intelligence

Stereo cam

eraP

attern projection and stereo cam

era

Captured image Contour extraction

Captured image Point cloud

Matching

Matching

3D CAD

3D recognition results

Position of component is recognized and communicated to robot

Patterns illuminated using a projector

20 21

In Japan’s rapidly aging society, so-called service robots (i.e., robots that assist with everyday household tasks such as nursing and housework) are becoming part of our daily lives. This project, led by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), the Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI) and Nagoya University, sought to develop the world’s first technology for verifying the safety of service robots. The results contributed greatly to the formulation of a global safety standard issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Establishing essential safety requirements for practical application

Since FY1998, NEDO has been conducting research and development on service robots that can provide assis-tance with everyday household tasks. In addition to research and development toward practical application of such robots, NEDO has made efforts to ensure that service robots can be used safely and has created safety standards for them.The safety of service robots cannot be defined unambigu-ously because circumstances differ depending on various factors such as the functions of the robot, the places where it is used, and the age of its user. In this project, fundamental ideas about the proper role for service robots in a highly safety-conscious society were solidified as project participants endeavored, using robots provided by

robot makers, to clarify unacceptable safety risks for users and the types of testing and verification necessary to mitigate such risks.

Developing a safety verification center and helping to establish a global safety standard based on research results

In this project, the Center for Service Robot Safety Verifi-cation was established in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture. This was done with the belief that such a center is neces-sary to demonstrate safety standards and verify the safety of service robots based on relevant standards. At the center, ways of evaluating and testing the safety of func-tions unique to robots were discussed for various robot uses and types, including mobile servant, physical assis-tant and person carrier. Based on these discussions, the center was equipped with the facilities necessary for evaluation and testing. Specifically, in addition to conven-tional safety tests, such as automobile collision tests and radio interference tests on electronic devices, new tests were developed, including one for validating the behavior of robots using a motion capture system.The accumulated expertise obtained from Japan’s unique test methods and its results contributed greatly to the formulation of ISO 13482, a global safety standard for personal care robots developed based on a draft prepared by Japan.

Robot • Welfare Equipment

Establishment of safety requirements and a certification system that underpin the development of safe and trustworthy service robots

SUCCESS STORIESNEDO PROJECT SUCCESS STORIES 2017

Project for the Practical Application of Service Robots

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)Japan Automobile Research Institute (JARI) • Nagoya University

Preparing for a Future Life with Robots

Top: The running test area equipped with a motion capture system and other test apparatuses. Tests to avoid collisions between humans and robots are conducted here.

Four test areas of the Center for Service Robot Safety Verification

Bottom: A sloped running test equip-ment that inclines up to 10 degrees. Testing addresses whether robots fall when making sharp turns while runn-ing at top speed.

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test area

Strength test area

Collision and tip-over test area

Running test area

Collision safety test equipment in collision and tip-over test area

Traditional electric wheelchairs have been less than ideal for traveling on rough surfaces, including gravel, and for making tight turns. In fact, many people do not want to be seen using a wheelchair. In this project, a highly functional and stylish personal electric vehicle was developed and put into practical application by defy-ing conventional wisdom about wheelchairs.

Developing optimal omni-wheels

Users of conventional electric wheel-chairs often find it difficult to change direction in narrow spaces. For exam-ple, they have to maneuver the wheelchair backward when riding an elevator, which causes anxiety and involves a degree of danger. However, WHILL models are developed using proprietary omni-wheels (all-direc-tional wheels) and allow users to change direction immediately. WHILL Inc., the venture company that developed the WHILL electric vehicle, started to work toward the development and commercialization of a novel personal mobility after hearing that a wheelchair user had given up on going to a grocery store just two blocks away. With funding from NEDO, the com-pany developed a unique weel struc-

ture in which each wheel consists of 24 smaller wheels mounted perpen-dicularly to the direction of forward motion. The rotation of these main and sub-wheels around the front-to-back and side-to-side axes allows users to move seamlessly in any direction while a four-wheel-drive (4WD) mechanism generates enough torque for users to negotiate obstacles and rough roads. The first commercial model, the WHILL Model A, was released in September 2014, and its novel concept and beautiful form earned it the Good Design Award 2015.

Developing a popular light-weight model that can be easily disassembled

Despite all the praise garnered by the Model A, some users expressed a desire to disassemble it into compo-nents that could be transported in a passenger car. This prompted the company to embark on the develop-ment of the Model C standard type as part of NEDO’s project. The company decided to do a fundamental review of the structural design of the Model A, including its motor and battery, in order to ensure that the new model could be disassembled without needing special tools for loading into

a passenger car. The Model C, developed with funding from NEDO, features an aluminum body in instead of the steel that was used for the Model A in order to make it more compact and affordable.　It also features an electric motor embedded in each of the rear wheels to ensure sufficient power to glide over rough terrain with a two-wheel-drive (2WD) mechanism. The stationary lead battery used for the Model A was replaced by a user-replaceable lithium-ion battery. The in-wheel motor and the battery were both developed for the model in collaboration with major Japanese manufacturers. Furthermore, the new model allows even a person with little physical strength to separate it into three parts using only a lever and then reassemble it with great ease, the desired feature that had driven the company to develop the Model C. It weighs approximately 52 kilograms, less than half the weight of the previ-ous model, at less than half the price. Moreover, the Model C is available in six colors. The Model C, which was released in April 2017, is a completely new product and not just an upgrade. More than 1,000 WHILL electric wheelchairs have been shipped worldwide, with shipments continu-ing steadily. (Interview: November 2017)

New type of Personal Mobility that gives one the independence to go wherever life leads

Patented omni-wheels allow users to travel easily on rough terrain and make tight turns

Small, popular, lightweight model that can be easily disassembled and is available at an affordable price.

The small, lightweight, user-replaceablelithium-ion battery developed for Model C

Model C can be easily taken apart and reassembled. Model C, shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2017, attracted attention for its color options and refined design.

WHILL Model A WHILL proprietary front omni-wheel

Development Promotion Project for Practical Use of Walfare EquipmentWHILL Inc.

A Personal Mobility That Is Truly Inviting

Model C, a small, lightweight personal electric vehicle

Robot･Welfare Equipment

08 NEDO PROJECT SUCCESS STORIES 2018 09SUCCESS STORIES

Prototype of Rodem developed by equipping an of�ce chair with a bicycle saddle and handle

Same model as the one used in veri�cation tests carried out in Denmark as a NEDO project

Rear view of Rodem. The user gets on from the rear and seat height can be adjusted electrically.

User eye level difference between Rodem (left) and traditional wheelchair (right)

Transfer from bed to wheelchair is a considerable burden for both caregiver and care recipient.

Rodem, a next-generation smart mobility vehicle

Realization of Next-Generation Life Support Technology With a Smart Mobility Vehicle

Robot･Welfare Equipment

Tmsuk Company Limited, NTT DOCOMO, INC., Kyushu UniversityInternational R&D and Demonstration Project in the Environment and Medical Device Sector, International R&D and Demonstration Project in the Robotics Field, and other projects

Tmsuk Company Limited, which has been developing a next-generation smart mobility vehicle known as Rodem, achieved commercialization through verification tests carried out as a NEDO project in Denmark. Care recipients have conventionally got on a wheelchair from the front, with their back to the wheelchair, but Rodem allows them to get on from the rear. The new transfer style contributes to reduce the physical burden for care recipients while supporting their self-reliance, and to improve the work environment in nursing homes.

Traditional wheelchairs have issues. When transferring to a wheelchair, the wheelchair user must half rise from their bed or seat and then turn before getting seated in the wheelchair, which often causes fall accidents. In nursing homes, caregivers help care recipients transfer to wheelchairs by holding them in their arms. This is heavy work and often causes muscle pain and lower-back pain to caregivers. To address these issues, Tmsuk Company Limited developed Rodem based on the innovative idea of enabling wheelchair users to transfer to their wheelchairs from the rear.To introduce Rodem to hospitals and nursing homes, Tmsuk needed to conduct verification tests. However, strictly observed regulations in Japan prevented such tests. Given this situation, in 2014 NEDO signed a memorandum of understanding on verification tests with the Municipality of Copenhagen and the Municipality of Faaborg-Midtfyn in Denmark, a country with an advanced welfare system. This paved the way for Tmsuk to conduct verification tests in nursing homes and rehabilitation centers outside of Japan.

Next-generation mobility that can be ridden from the rear dramatically improves heavy care work

Developing a mobility vehicle using robotics technology to enable care recipients to be more independent in daily life and to improve the work environment of caregivers

Conducting verification tests at hospitals and nursing homes to provide a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of Rodem’s safety and superiority

Knowledge from international verification tests realized the next generation smart mobility as the actual product

Aims Challenges Achievements

Improving Rodem based on the results of verification tests in Denmark

Based on the results of the verification tests in Denmark, Tmsuk further improved Rodem for enhanced practicality. The company adopted omni-wheels for the front wheels to allow for tight turns and smoother movement. Communications technology was used to enable remote control of Rodem from a smartphone, thus giving it the functions of a mobility vehicle and a robot.In addition to improving the functions of Rodem, the verification test results led to concept innovation. They revealed a significant difference in the way of thinking about nursing care in Japan and Denmark. Denmark focuses on making care recipients more self-reliant through nursing care. Based on this realization, Tmsuk changed the concept of Rodem to one that envisions the product as an indoor and outdoor mobility vehicle for seamless movement that can support self-reliance both at home and in society at large. The company also added the function of seat height adjustment so that the user’s eye level would be the same as people without a disability. This allows the user to converse smoothly, thereby reducing their emotional burden.Tmsuk incorporated improvements based on the verification test results and commercialized Rodem in November 2017. In August of the following year, the first mass-production model was delivered to Kusatsu General Hospital in Shiga Prefecture. Currently, under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s New Market Creation Standardization System, an examination is underway to establish new Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) for tentatively named “straddling electric wheelchairs” such as Rodem. Tmsuk’s vision going forward includes incorporating an autonomous driving function, delivering Rodem to a wider range of users, and making it an urban mobility vehicle to help achieve greater transport efficiency for entire cities.(Interview: November 2018)

16 NEDO Project Success Stor ies 17