QuoVADis Project: Functionalities of the Robot and Data-Processing Architecture
Résumé
Paper describes the advantages and main functionalities of the robot companion and data processing architecture of the QuoVADis project, an initiative aimed at providing home safety monitoring and assistance for individuals with cognitive disabilities such as Alzheimer's disease. The roles of the robot are to ensure the safety of the resident and provide cognitive stimulation. The robot is integrated with a telecare platform, developed and operated by the technology institute ESIEE-Paris, that offers medical and communication services for seniors. The telecare platform integrates communication functions such as email, video conferencing, and alarms with specific medical tools including cognitive exercises, patient monitoring, and robot remote operation. The robot's functionalities are described in two scenarios: (1) cognitive stimulation, wherein medical staff works out an agenda of daily tasks with the resident, whereupon the robot is activated according to the timetable defined by the agenda, searching for the person and prompting him or her as to the activity to be completed; and (2) safety case, in which an alarm is set off by the telecare system, the distant operator alerted fails to reach the resident, and subsequently engages the robot to seek and locate the person inside the residence, maintain reassuring and continuous contact, and wait for human intervention as needed. Future work to improve the QuoVADis system is discussed.