Toyota's Human Support Robot has successful trial, helps US war veteran paralysed in Afghanistan

Toyota, the Japanese automotive giant, recently completed the first in-home trial of its new Human Support Robot (HSR). The test was conducted at the home of Romulo “Romy” Camargo, a decorated Afghanistan war veteran. He was wounded in action and was paralysed below the neck, reported The Verge. The HSR is part of Toyota’s Partner Robot Family. It is meant to assist people in their everyday activities. Toyota says that in the future, the HSR will coexist with family members in the home, providing support to improve living conditions and the overall quality of life. The robot has a safety-first design as the robot’s arm uses little power and moves slowly to prevent accidents and injuries. It also has obstacle avoidance and collision detection to operate safely around humans.

HSR has a telescoping body and an arm which can extend to pick up things. When the robot is not being used, the arm folds into its body so that it stays out of the way. Camargo describes himself as a high-level quadraplegic. He has 100% disability and needs a lot of help with every day tasks. The HSR’s trial was limited to two tasks as it had to open the door and bring water to Camargo. The door button and the water bottle were tagged with Quick Response codes which allowed the robot to identify their positions. The robot has a number of sensors which allow to process the environment around it and react accordingly. The robot succeeded in both the tasks as it successfully opened the door and brought the water bottle to Camargo. These might just be the beginning steps but show great potential for the future as disabled people can look forward to technology’s help to allow them and their families to lead better lives. HSR’s origins date back to 2007, when Toyota launched its Robot Partner program where it aimed to develop robots that could be useful in everyday life, according to The Verge. Since then, they have been used for personal transport, playing the violin, and there are even plans to send them to the Moon. In 2011, Toyota unveiled a series of robotic braces and exoskeletons designed to improve rehabilitation of injured or sick patients which would help them with walking, balance and posture.