MIT Engineers Build Robot That Can Catch, Lift Seniors If They Fall

The E-BAR could prevent injuries that could land seniors in assisted living facilities. (Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock)

Over 11,000 Americans turn 65 each day, and with each passing year comes more risk for one of the most dangerous threats of aging: falls. But have no fear! Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have designed a new robot, aptly named E-BAR (Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot), that can lift a person from the floor, help with daily movements, and catch someone during a fall, all without requiring them to wear any special harness or device.

Ninety-two percent of elderly Americans strongly prefer to age in their homes rather than move to assisted living facilities, but falls remain the leading cause of injury for those over 65. In fact, approximately one in four elderly Americans—nearly 14 million people—falls each year.

This research, set to be presented at the IEEE Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), provides new safety technology for seniors who are afraid of falling but don’t want to be put in a nursing home or assisted living facility.

“Many older adults underestimate the risk of fall and refuse to use physical aids, which are cumbersome, while others overestimate the risk and may not exercise, leading to declining mobility,” says study author Harry Asada from MIT, in a statement.

Most elderly individuals resist wearing restrictive devices despite needing assistance, and switching between different assistive technologies can be hazardous for older adults trying to manage independently.

The Fall Prevention Robot
What separates E-BAR from existing eldercare robots is its unique combination of features in a single system. While other robots might help with standing or walking or provide fall detection, E-BAR does it all with a surprisingly slim profile—just 38 centimeters at its narrowest point. This allows it to navigate through typical home doorways and around furniture.

The robot functions like an invisible safety net positioned behind the user. Its U-shaped fork can provide support under the arms or at the forearms, enabling activities that many elderly people avoid due to fear of falling, such as bending to pick up objects or getting in and out of bathtubs.

When the team tested the robot with elderly participants and caregivers, they found that many older adults have enough muscle strength for daily activities but lack confidence in their balance. E-BAR targets exactly this population, the approximately 24% of Americans over 65 who have significant muscle strength but require assistive devices, and the 28% of those over 75 who show increased fall risk in clinical assessments.

Making Independent Living Safer

Unlike most support robots that require the user to stand within the robot’s base footprint, E-BAR can extend its support arm across gaps like bathtub edges while maintaining stability. This was achieved through computational optimization that balanced competing priorities like footprint size, reach distance, and stability.

To create the lifting mechanism, the MIT team developed an innovative 18-bar linkage system that follows the natural trajectory of human movement when transitioning from sitting to standing. This mechanism provides maximum mechanical advantage at key points where users need the most help, mimicking how a caregiver might assist someone.

The E-BAR includes four rapidly inflating airbags that can deploy in less than 250 milliseconds to catch someone during a fall. The system monitors for balance issues and can predict a fall before descent begins, giving the airbags enough time to inflate and safely cushion the user.

Source: https://studyfinds.org/robot-catch-seniors-if-they-fall/