Jamster: A Mobile Dual-Arm Assistive Robot with Jamboxx Control

This paper presents a mobile assistive robot that may be controlled by a mobility disabled user to perform a variety of tasks. Recent research in manipulation-based assistive robotics tends to focus on creating an autonomous robotic assistant. In contrast, our approach allows the user to manually control the robot assistant while providing guidance to the user task execution based on sensor measurements. Our implementation involves the integration of a dual-arm Baxter robot by Rethink Robotics mounted on a power wheelchair commanded by various inputs, including a sip-puff device called the Jamboxx. We call this system the Jamster. The Baxter is lightweight, can operate off the wheelchair battery through an inverter, and is safer to operate around human than traditional industrial robots. A graphical user interface with camera feedback and graphical rendition of the robot enables the user to drive the wheelchair and command the robot to perform simple tasks remotely. As an initial test of this system, we set up a simple task involving driving the Jamster to the shelf to pick up a peanut butter jar and transport it to another location - to be performed with Jamboxx only, without using one's hands. Such task is challenging if not impossible for severely mobility-impaired individuals. This work represents the first step towards our ultimate vision of a robotic assistant that could seamlessly work with mobility disabled individuals to effectively perform daily tasks and thus improve their quality of life.