Successful test run: “Garmi” care robot is growing up

Created: 12/27/2021, 9:00 PM

“Garmi” in action: the assistant robot brings Eva Theresa Jahn, the research assistant at the Technical University of Munich, a shopping bag.

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“Garmi”, the humanoid robot assistant developed at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Research Center for Geriatronics, is slowly growing up: He can now serve, offer drinks and even go shopping.

During a test run lasting several days with 20 test persons from a wide range of target and age groups, “Garmi” demonstrated its abilities.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Today there is spaghetti, lasagna and schnitzel with french fries.

Eva Theresa Jahn is sitting at the dining table and is hungry.

She waves to “Garmi”, who then searches the room with his two big blue eyes, fixes the young woman and rolls towards her.

Immediately in front of her, he brakes, says the menu selection, takes the order and shortly afterwards brings a tray with the lasagna, which he carefully places on the dining table.

Robot is unique

There are now many robots in the world that are supposed to make people's work easier, but “Garmi” is still one of a kind. Prof. Sami Haddadin and his team from the MIRMI (Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), of which the Geriatronic Research Center is part, have been working for many years to develop a robot that is specially designed for Assistance and support for the elderly is designed.

In the meantime, one could say that “Garmi” has reached puberty. Eva Theresa Jahn laughs, but doesn't contradict. “His new skills were implemented in the summer,” explains the TUM research assistant. Now he has to prove himself in practice, which means that Jahn waves and orders - and two students from China take care of “Garmi”. Wenxi Wu sits in front of the computer and monitors every movement of the robot, while Ruiai Sun places the tray with the lasagna on the table so that the robot can scan the symbols with its cameras. This is the prerequisite for the fact that he extends his gripper arms and ultimately lifts the tray. "Garmi" has moved for this series of tests:from the rooms of the research center on the first floor of the building on Bahnhofstrasse one floor higher to the model apartment of the non-profit LongLeif GaPa GmbH. “The ambience is just a lot better there,” says Jahn.

This test run was actually supposed to take place in Lenzheim, but the restrictions on visits to old people's and nursing homes in the course of combating corona thwarted this plan. The Lenzheim plays a decisive role in the practical test. After all, Jahn and her colleagues from the Technical University of Rosenheim, under the direction of Prof. Martin Müller, began three years ago to create a needs analysis together with residents, their relatives and the nursing staff and to determine what kind of support the robot would provide most is in demand. The visitors to the Marianne-Aschenbrenner senior citizens' meeting were also involved. This resulted in the three support scenarios "serving and clearing trays","Offer drinks and snacks" and "Help with shopping".

Help in everyday care

Jahn is now sitting in a red upholstered armchair in the living area of ​​the model accommodation. After "Garmi" has served the spaghetti and schnitzel flawlessly after the lasagna and has thus proven that he can very well be a support for the nursing staff during main meals, he now makes his rounds with a bottle of apple spritzer. He rolls over to the expert and asks if she would like something to drink. "This is very important in day-to-day care, because many older people simply forget that they are drinking enough fluids," says the researcher at the research center, who now also wants to do some shopping. Wenxi Wu nods and uses the keyboard on his computer: Scenario 3. "Shopping" is now activated at "Garmi". He rolls back to the red chair and countswhat the fictional kiosk of a nursing home has to offer. Jahn decides on water, biscuits and fruit, "Garmi" rolls over to Ruiai Sun, who puts everything in a cloth bag. The robot grabs the bag and returns it to the red armchair.

This evaluation was carried out with a total of 20 senior citizens, relatives, caregivers and interested citizens.

Everyone was allowed to order food once, order water or apple spritzer and then go shopping - and everyone was allowed to push the helper around and move his arms in order to reduce any fear of contact with the robot.

This was followed by interviews with each subject, in which Jahn and her colleagues from the TH Rosenheim asked about the experiences they had just made down to the smallest detail.

Now it is time to scientifically evaluate the results and draw conclusions for the further development of “Garmi”.

A task that will probably only be completed in the spring.

Meanwhile, “Garmi” is back at home - one floor below, in the rooms of the research center on Bahnhofstrasse.