18/07/2024

Care robot GARMI from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is becoming increasingly versatile and intelligent. It combines various skills, supports people in their everyday lives and enables telemedical examinations.

For the first time, the assistant robot GARMI shows that it can directly combine different skills. It supports people in their everyday lives throughout the day by taking on nursing tasks, communicating with doctors, enabling telemedical examinations and helping with rehabilitation exercises. Thanks to its digital twin, artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT, the care assistant is becoming increasingly adept.

Image: Robot in the foreground in a research laboratory; Copyright: Andreas Heddergott / TUM

Care robot GARMI (front left) in the research laboratory at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is becoming increasingly adept.

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GARMI functions at a glance:

Morning support: Brings water and breakfast to the bedside.
Telemedicine assistance: Mediates live conversations with doctors.
Rehabilitation exercises: Assists with getting up and other exercises.
Communication: Uses ChatGPT to understand and execute commands.

The GARMI robot demonstrates its capabilities in the research laboratory of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Researchers from the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) demonstrated at the ICRA 2024 robotics trade fair in Yokohama, Japan, that the robot understands various commands via ChatGPT and autonomously performs different tasks such as grasping objects, maneuvering safely and communicating with patients.

"GARMI is now able to perform the various individual skills that we have taught him over the last few years, securely and on-demand, via ChatGPT," explains Dr. Abdeldjallil Naceri, head of the geriatronics project.

Human-robot interaction: reliability and safety

The researchers are combining various technological innovations. A digital twin simulates the robot's movements before the real interaction in order to avoid collisions. Artificial intelligence enables GARMI to pick up cups and glasses and pass them over without spilling any liquid. ChatGPT handles communication between the robot and the people involved.

"The same is true for care robotics. Because this technology will be used where people are present, it must be 100 percent safe and reliable," emphasizes Naceri.

Progress and future prospects

Dexterity - grasping and precise movement

GARMI combines a camera, a robotic arm with seven joints and an artificial hand to grasp objects in a similar way to humans. A camera identifies the object and completes invisible areas by comparing them with other images. Grasping is successful in nine out of ten cases.

Safety: reaction in a millisecond

GARMI processes information at a rate of one millisecond. The force sensors register the slightest contact and react immediately. The assistance robot can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h but reduces its speed in the vicinity of people to avoid accidents.

Language: ChatGPT as a communication tool

ChatGPT acts as a translator between technology and humans. It has learned commands such as "Start rehab", "Show me tomorrow's weather" or "Call the doctor" and enables communication between the robot and the user.

The new universal GARMI is now being tested in a model apartment in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The main field of research will be the further development of hands that can take on ever more delicate tasks. It will be several years before GARMI is ultimately used in care homes.

"A lot of progress has already been made, but a few details are still missing before it is ready for the human environment," says Naceri.

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: Technical University of Munich

More about the TUM at: www.tum.de/en/