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AgingNCT02807506

Affordable Mobile Robots for the Elderly

A study testing Mobile Service Robot and Survey in people with Aging, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This project develops and tests the use of service robots to track health of the elderly over time. The objectives are to develop a low-cost mobile manipulator capable of a limited set of elder- relevant manipulation tasks (e.g. picking up dropped items). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Aging
What is being tested?
Mobile Service Robot and Survey
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
53 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Jul 2014to 30 Dec 2022
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Elders, age 55 and older,who are members of Living Independently For Elders (LIFE) run by the University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing and their caregivers.
  • Elders at Kearsley or Mercy Douglas who are 62 years and older, in imminent risk of a nursing home placement, attends LIFE center daily (day program), able to have activities of daily living (ADL) needs met by caregivers, able to pay required rent for apartment, and able to function safely in community with other elders.
  • Savioke may conduct additional focus groups at The Forum at Rancho San Antonio a Continuing Care Retirement Community located in Silicon Valley.
  • Clinicians will be recruited from the clinical staff working at LIFE, Kearsley, and Mercy Douglas which consists of primary care physicians, nurses and nurse practitioners, licensed social workers, and physical and occupational therapists.
  • Caregivers will be recruited from the clinical staff working at LIFE, Kearsley, and Mercy Douglas which consists of certified nursing assistants (CNAs).

Who cannot join

  • Unable to cognitively give consent
  • Unable to understand the study or refuse to comply with procedures

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

  • Mercy Living Independently for Elders (L.I.F.E) - West Philadelphia

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19145

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: PFI: BIC Affordable and Mobile Assistive Robots for Elderly Care

This project develops and tests the use of service robots to track health of the elderly over time. The objectives are to develop a low-cost mobile manipulator capable of a limited set of elder- relevant manipulation tasks (e.g. picking up dropped items). The investigators will visualize and model the use of the service robot during deployments at an elder care facility. Feedback from focus groups with elders and clinicians will inform the necessary engineering innovation.

Read the detailed description

The goal is to develop in three stages a new affordable robot with the participation of Living Independently for Elders (LIFE) members and clinicians. The robot will be developed by a multidisciplinary team headed by Dr. Yim at University of Pennsylvania (UPENN) (PI), Dr. Tessa Lau at Savioke Corp, and Drs. Johnson and Cacchionne at UPENN PM\&R and UPENN Nursing, respectively. The aim is to build a low-cost robot platform that will focus on the simple, but key, repetitive, data-driven tasks that robots do well. Rather than attempt to create a robot helper that mimics humans, the aim is to free human caregivers from the time-consuming tasks that robots can accomplish with facility, thereby allowing humans to focus on tasks that humans do best (i.e. human contact). Participatory reviews of the developed prototypes will be completed at each stage (each year) with the LIFE members and clinicians. There are three research questions the investigators hope to answer all while building an effective system to synergistically satisfy the business needs:

R1) Although activities of daily living (ADLs) for elder health have previously been documented and categorized, no research has been done to characterize them from the perspective of their feasibility of automation using an affordable mobile manipulation robot. How can known ADLs be characterized according to how much they would benefit from robotic assistance given varying levels of robot capabilities (mobility, limited manipulation, full manipulation)?

R2) A manipulator arm must be safe, affordable, and performant enough to assist in ADLs for elder heath. What new breakthroughs are required to develop new manipulation technology that satisfies these constraints?

R3) A data-driven service robotics What are the concomitant key usability and acceptance of service features required system has the potential to affect elder health in a positive way. How can predictive service robotics best be used to maintain and improve elder health? Which specific robot behaviors have the most impact on elders' well-being?

Conditions
Aging
Being tested
Mobile Service Robot, Survey
Keywords
elders, robotics, low income population, activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, social robotics, stroke, aged, Retirement, Housing for elderly, Homes for the aged
Medical subject headings
Stroke

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Mobile Service RobotDevice

    The goal is to build a low-cost mobile service robot with an arm that will focus on the simple, but key, repetitive, data-driven tasks that robots do well. Rather than attempt to create a robot helper that mimics humans, the goal is to free human caregivers from the time-consuming tasks that robots can accomplish with facility, thereby allowing humans to focus on tasks that humans do best (i.e. human contact).

  • SurveyOther

    Observe Elders, Clinicians and Caregiver's survey, interview and observational responses to stage-wise experimental deployments of a mobile service robot.

Study groups in NCT02807506
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Aim 1 (Survey): EldersExperimentalObserve Elders, Clinicians and Caregiver's survey, interview and observational responses to stage-wise experimental deployments of a mobile service robot - 1st concept (elders, clinicians, caregivers), 2nd mobile base (elders only), and 3rd mobile base with arm in daily supportive tasks (elders only)
Receives: Other: Survey
Aim 1 (Survey): CliniciansExperimentalObserve Elders, Clinicians and Caregiver's survey, interview and observational responses to stage-wise experimental deployments of a mobile service robot - 1st concept (elders, clinicians, caregivers), 2nd mobile base (elders only), and 3rd mobile base with arm in daily supportive tasks (elders only)
Receives: Other: Survey
Aim 1 (Survey): CaregiversExperimentalObserve Elders, Clinicians and Caregiver's survey, interview and observational responses to stage-wise experimental deployments of a mobile service robot - 1st concept (elders, clinicians, caregivers), 2nd mobile base (elders only), and 3rd mobile base with arm in daily supportive tasks (elders only)
Receives: Other: Survey
Aim 2: Deployment 1 (Elders)ExperimentalObserve Elders, Clinicians and Caregiver's survey, interview and observational responses to stage-wise experimental deployments of a mobile service robot - 1st concept (elders, clinicians, caregivers), 2nd mobile base (elders only), and 3rd mobile base with arm in daily supportive tasks (elders only)
Receives: Device: Mobile Service Robot
Aim 2: Deployment 2 (Elders)ExperimentalObserve Elders, Clinicians and Caregiver's survey, interview and observational responses to stage-wise experimental deployments of a mobile service robot - 1st concept (elders, clinicians, caregivers), 2nd mobile base (elders only), and 3rd mobile base with arm in daily supportive tasks (elders only)
Receives: Device: Mobile Service Robot

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Usability Scale for Deployment 1

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Usability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Usability survey scored from 0 to 100, with 100 being the most favorable response. A number greater than 68 is good.

    Measured: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

  2. Usability Scale for Deployment 2

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Usability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Usability survey scored out of 7. Users ranked tasks on a scale of 1-7, 7 being very usable.

    Measured: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

  3. Sociability Scale for Deployment 1

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Sociability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Sociability survey scored from 0 to 100, with 100 being the most favorable response. A number greater than 68 is good.

    Measured: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

  4. Sociability Scale for Deployment 2

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Sociability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Sociability survey scored out of 7. Users ranked tasks on a scale of 1-7, 7 being very usable.

    Measured: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

  5. Acceptability Scale for Deployment 1

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Acceptability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Acceptability survey scored from 0 to 100, with 100 being the most favorable response. A number greater than 68 is good.

    Measured: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

  6. Acceptability Scale for Deployment 2

    Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) assistance, feasibility of automation of manipulator and arm measured by surveys and observation of participants in focus group. Acceptability of robot system for walking and water delivery tasks. Acceptability survey scored out of 7. Users ranked tasks on a scale of 1-7, 7 being very usable.

    Measured: 1 session, about 1 hour in length

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted21 Jun 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2014
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2021
  4. Study completion30 Dec 2022

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
53 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02807506
Sponsor's protocol ID
820915
Status last verified
Feb 2023
First submitted
31 Mar 2016
Last updated
21 Mar 2023
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Mucchiani C, Torres WO, Edgar D, Johnson MJ, Cacchione PZ, Yim M. Development and deployment of a mobile manipulator for assisting and entertaining elders living in supportive apartment living facilities. In2018 27th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN) 2018 Aug 27 (pp. 121-128). IEEE.

  • Mucchiani C, Cacchione P, Johnson M, Mead R, Yim M. Deployment of a Socially Assistive Robot for Assessment of COVID-19 Symptoms and Exposure at an Elder Care Setting. In2021 30th IEEE International Conference on Robot & Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN) 2021 Aug 8 (pp. 1189-1195). IEEE.

  • Cacchione, P., Mucchiani, C., Lima, K., Mead, R., Yim, M. and Johnson, M., 2020. Engaging End Users in Designing Systems and Hardware for a Socially Assistive Robot. Innovation in Aging, 4(Suppl 1), pp.823-823.

  • Johnson MJ, Johnson MA, Sefcik JS, Cacchione PZ, Mucchiani C, Lau T, Yim M. Task and design requirements for an affordable mobile service robot for elder care in an all-inclusive care for elders assisted-living setting. International journal of social robotics. 2020 Nov;12(5):989-1008.

  • Mucchiani C, Sharma S, Johnson M, Sefcik J, Vivio N, Huang J, Cacchione P, Johnson M, Rai R, Canoso A, Lau T. Evaluating older adults' interaction with a mobile assistive robot. In2017 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2017 Sep 24 (pp. 840-847). IEEE.

  • Sefcik JS, Johnson MJ, Yim M, Lau T, Vivio N, Mucchiani C, Cacchione PZ. Stakeholders' Perceptions Sought to Inform the Development of a Low-Cost Mobile Robot for Older Adults: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Clin Nurs Res. 2018 Feb;27(1):61-80. doi: 10.1177/1054773817730517. Epub 2017 Sep 16.

    PubMed 28918654

  • Mucchiani C, Cacchione P, Torres W, Johnson MJ, Yim M. Exploring low-cost mobile manipulation for elder care within a community based setting. Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems. 2020 Apr;98(1):59-70.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Mobile Service Robot and Survey in people with Aging, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Mar 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 21 Mar 2023). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Usability Scale for Deployment 1 (time frame: 1 session, about 1 hour in length). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02807506, which also lists 7 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Mar 2023.

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