Long Term Care Robot Simulator Evaluation
Here is a short video of our LTC Companions simulator being tested in a gazebosim.org simulation environment running on Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS OS, with a three-wheeled robotic sentry.* The simulator was selected because it is part of online gazebosim.org’s (and ROS) training and anybody with the right computer can use it to test a robot in simulation. If robotic designs and sensors do not succeed in simulation, they will not work in the real world. In the brief test, the 3-wheeled robotic sentry was programmed to go after objects put in its path. Bipedal LTC robots will use similar types of sensors to operate in a client’s home in order to sense and safeguard its surroundings.
*Note: I’ll upload more simulated robots soon, closer in appearance to the bipedal companions we hope to help design and test in gazebosim.org’s simulator. Note: ROS may have to be installed prior to installing gazebosim. We have been working with ROS Melodic.
2019 The Year of Gratitude
It’s official: “2019 The Year Of Gratitude”. If you are waiting for blessings to show up, start by being thankful for what you already have. Keep an Attitude of Gratitude and watch your miracles begin to appear in 2019.
Good Morning John,
I just wanted to let you know that my daughter, Michelle was awarded the Foresters Competitive Scholarship! This award came at a time when we found out that funds awarded from her college of choice was limited. We are all very grateful to Foresters and specially your help in handling the life insurance policy for me. We sincerely appreciate your time and support. Keep in touch.
Margaret
Yes, our goal is to make companions available for free
Home-based robotic products that we test and make available online are not free. However, a portion of the profits from current and future sales are being used to help develop our companions. Companions we develop, test, and certify, are intended to be placed in homes for free for up to one year to humans over 60 who are already on long term care. Our companion’s monthly services are intended to be paid for by sponsors. Website visitors and our existing clients and prospects may soon feel good about being or becoming our customers and clients, knowing they can apply for our future companions when and if sponsors become available.*
A person over the age of 60 who is diagnosed by a medical doctor as not being able to do any 2 of the 6 activities of daily living are intended to become qualified candidates for our future home care robots. A family member or LTC client may, once trained companions become available, ask their licensed caregiver to apply for our future home care robots as a part of their in-home treatment. Otherwise the client may apply to lease one of our companions at a monthly fee based upon their income.
Before the client’s paid-for LTC program expires, the intention is for the client’s caregiver to apply for one of our sponsored companions. The companion will be tested by the licensed caregiver, certified, and qualified to care for the client for up to a maximum of 12 consecutive hours per day without the client’s human caregiver. For example, the companion does all care giving when the caregiver goes home, goes shopping, etc. When the caregiver returns to the client’s home the caregiver resumes supervision of the companion’s activities.
* A licensed caregiver is required in to supervise our sponsored caregivers. We’ll talk more about government and private sponsors in another blog.