Design of a robotic system to assist in the treatment of severe COVID-19 patients

Abstract

The article presents the conceptualization, development, and implementation of a sophisticated mobile robotic system with the purpose of providing aid in the medical care of those afflicted with severe cases of COVID-19. The robotic system will engage in verbal communication with the patient and provide updates regarding the external environment. Additionally, it will facilitate the delivery of food, beverages, and other consumable items to the isolation room. The robot has the capability to navigate to its intended location using two distinct modes: autonomous mode and online control mode. The hardware is constructed within a mobile robot system that is interconnected to the Internet over a 4G mobile network. The system employs a client–server software architecture wherein the transmission of data between the client and the server occurs through various transport protocols. Experimental simulations were conducted in an active treatment room to evaluate the performance of autonomous operating mechanisms, including obstacle avoidance positioning, safe destination navigation, and feedback display for remote robot operation.