Oct 5 2012
As the world’s population ages, Quantum International is exploring new innovations capable of helping the elderly and chronically ill lead more independent and productive lives. Exciting new robotic assistants for caregivers could soon revolutionize home care for the aged and infirm.
In Japan, two new robots developed by ROBOHELPER are making it easier than ever before to care for elders at home. The ROBOHELPER SASUKE helps caregivers lift a person into and out of bed using a sling and servo motors. Another device, ROBOHELPER LOVE, is an automatic bodily waste disposal unit aimed at making bedpans a thing of the past.
ROBOHELPER LOVE’s cup wraps around the patient's waist, fitted with sensors that automatically detect the presence of fluid and/or stool. The waste is then suctioned away into a holding tank, followed by a cleansing wash using room temperature water.
Personal assistance robots may represent a major breakthrough in home care as the global population of seniors grows rapidly. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of elderly people in the world will exceed the number of children within a decade, placing greater demands on a shrinking number of young caregivers and taxing social insurance programs.
QUAN believes that personal care robots hold tremendous potential for reducing the stress on families and welfare institutions by automating many tasks currently provided by nurses and other caregivers. The company is currently investigating ways to capitalize on the demand for new robotics solutions to the pressing challenges faced by the healthcare industry in the 21st Century.
Quantum International Corp. is working to develop the next generation of robotics technology to compete in a booming global industry alongside Hansen Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: HNSN), MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ: MAKO), Covidien (NYSE: COV) and Accuray Incorporated (NASDAQ: ARAY).