Autonomous wheelchair offering unrestrained movement for people of determination, and a wearable robot that helps lift heavy objects was the highlight at GITEX Technology Week 2020 as Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa (PMMAF) showcased its smart mobility solutions at Dubai World Trade Centre from December 6th – 10th. The company’s sophisticated personal mobility solutions provide freedom of movement to people of determination and elderly in everyday scenarios of unpredictable human environment.
Panasonic is partnering with Etisalat to bring smart solutions that focus on health and to empower people of determination by tapping into 5G, AI, robotics and IoT technologies. Panasonic is showcasing its autonomous wheelchair, PiiMO that features object recognition, autonomous driving, and controls via an app. Other innovative solution exhibited by PMMAF at the event will be ATOUN MODEL Y, a high-tech wearable power assist suit that alleviates work-induced burden on the waist for people.
Panasonic’s robotic mobility solutions are designed to tackle social issues such as elderly care, challenges in healthcare, and labour shortage etc, and meeting the rising demand for non-face-to-face healthcare services due to COVID-19 pandemic. They address the needs of society in the "new normal".
“Today, automated vehicles, machine vision, artificial intelligence (AI), sensors, and software are eliminating time-consuming and hands-on human functions, as well as empowering people of determination to seamlessly traverse and participate equally in workplaces. Our self-driving vehicles, accessibility solutions, and robotic innovations that communicate with each other and with surrounding infrastructure are making cities safer for everyone including people of determination. And we are pleased to partner with Etisalat’s efforts to bringing in innovations that empower people with determination during GITEX Technology Week, which is in line with our motto of making life better for everyone,” said Hidetoshi Kaneko, Director and Division Head – System Solutions and Communications Division, Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa.
PiiMO
Bringing a fresh perspective to personal movement with all new innovations, the electric wheelchair by PiiMO has passenger assisted technology for personalised mobility that provides comfort for the disabled especially in workplaces. The PiiMO is a robotic wheelchair that can move autonomously after users give it a destination via a smartphone application. Besides, this electric wheelchair allows multiple units to travel in a single file line. The proprietary technology in the PiiMO also can link to sensor-equipped luggage carts that automatically follow the wheelchair without getting lost. Designed for crowded areas such as airports, it is equipped with image recognition technology, self-position sensors, and obstacle-detecting safety sensors, so it can move autonomously and safely even in a crowd. PiiMO is a precision-built powerchair that provides greater accessibility through advanced driving capabilities and enables autonomous movement in various facilities including airports, shopping malls and public transport facilities.
ATOUN MODEL Y
The GITEX will also feature ATOUN MODEL Y, a wearable robot for the waist designed to reduce work-induced burdens from the backs of workers and improve work efficiency. Use of this powered wear reduces the physical burden to the workers and also improves the work efficiency. The addition of arms support around the waist improves productivity and function, compared to the normal work conditions. Up to now, this powered wear for the waist has primarily been used at logistics and manufacturing sites. However, the company is also exploring utilization of the technology in nursing-care facilities, ATOUN is carrying out more extensive studies in the patient care sector. The idea is that the utilization of wearable robots at nursing-care sites might reduce the psychological resistance felt on-site once the students begin their professional career.
Another leading robotic innovation available in the region by Panasonic is HOSPI assistive robots, which is an autonomous delivery robot that are excellent for moving deliveries from point A to B in facilities be it transportation of medication and lab samples collection at hospitals or printed papers and mails in offices. The customizable robots can be a reliable assistance for elderly and people of determination. Aimed at providing better security and comfort, the autonomous mobility robot from Panasonic can play an active role in modern digitized facilities. The robot has already proven useful around in delivering medicines, medical samples, documents, beverages and serving as mobile signage system. HOSPI is the perfect solution to limit the exposure of elderly people to the deadly Corona Virus as they are the most vulnerable to getting infected.
