Summary

In Japan, the aging of society is accelerating at an alarming rate, and the increase of people who require nursing or care is turning into a social problem. Among the many related issues, skin related health conditions such as sores occurring from prolonged pressure on a specific area of the body or skin-tears caused by chafing or pulling on weakened skin has garnered attention as an area requiring immediate attention, both from a patient QoL (Quality of Life) stand point as well as a socio-economic stand point such as medical expense.

In this research, by merging together the use of super soft smart materials, 3D modeling of care products that conform to the body, 3D printing technology, and high spec 3D printing data formats that can express the internal structure of three dimensional objects, we have been working on the development of a gel-pad which can reduce or prevent cutaneous wounds such as sores and skin-tears. Going one step further, we aim to develop the schematics for integrating this gel-pad into care devices such as beds and wheel chairs.
This research is being carried out as a cross disciplinary project covering health informatics, nursing, soft material science, robot control engineering, and design engineering. The aim is to contribute to the realization of a “personalized soft care robot” which cater to the individual health care beneficiary’s requirements such as body form, posture, and other health concerns (such as paralysis on one side of the body).