Robotic Feeder for Disabled People (RFDP)

Bio-Robotics is an innovative field that helps in improving the quality of life of people with special needs. People who suffer from hands related inability or immobility encounter many problems in their life. Eating, a basic necessity is a troublesome task that negatively impacts these people. Their inability to easily feed themselves may lead to a feeling of frustration, and embarrassment from the people who feed them. In order to combat the aforementioned problem, RFDP (Robotic Feeder for Disabled people) system is proposed; it gives disabled people the sense of freedom at the dinner table. RFDP consists of an arm of five degree of freedoms. The system is centered at the middle of a table, surrounded by four different types of food, each inside a plate. It is programmed to take the order from the user by using blink detection technology; the user selects the appropriate food plate and moves the arm towards it by just blinking the eye. The design incorporates three main components. The first is the arm structure that is composed of links, and joints. The second is the eye blink detection system. The third is the connection between the user and the arm. The user controls the arm by blinking the eye via camera, and the robot moves to the selected bowl, dip into the food, and bring the spoon-full to the user's mouth.