This summer, we joined the SAKO research project, which explores how service robots can support everyday logistics in Norwegian nursing homes.
Two projects were covered in our work: Project 1 – testing the service robots in the three municipalities involved in SAKO, and Project 2 – testing the service robots in the Boligsimulator at UiA.
Our first task was to work with an existing UiA Bot and test how well it could navigate different environments. The robot was tested in the hallways at Campus Grimstad, in the apartment simulator at UiA, and at Plank Myra Residential and Care Center. Plank Myra is the only nursing home we have visited so far, with two more municipal visits planned after New Year.
These tests quickly showed us the real challenges a robot would face in a nursing home: tight corridors, thresholds, mixed lighting, changes in flooring, and sensing limitations. Flooring differences—carpet, hardwood and smooth vinyl—can cause slip or irregular movement, although most nursing homes fortunately have smooth floors. Unexpected thresholds were also a recurring issue.
The experience became the starting point for our autumn project in MAS518, where we developed a new concept for how a nursing-home service robot could support logistics tasks such as moving laundry and waste trolleys. We analysed requirements through interviews, on-site observations and measurements.
Our work forms the foundation for our next step in SAKO: building and testing a full prototype and developing the autonomy needed for real-world operation. This will be covered by two masters thesis projects.