Integrated Supervisory System to control a Reconfigurable Platform of Assistive Technology

The Laboratory of Bioengineering and Biomaterials of the Federal Institute of Technology in Sao Paulo is studying a Reconfigurable Platform of Assistive Technology. It is a multicenter project that consists mainly of a reconfigurable bed/chair/standup platform with few subprojects for use both in hospital and home care. The subprojects of platform are: a) wheelchair with automatic elevation; b) lift system for sustain patients during movements and daily activities; and c) physical therapy assistant with variable load. Each subproject has local control systems. This work presents an integrated supervisory system with three layers to control RPAT based on Internet of Things. A first simplified prototype was assembled with a simple Arduino controller to analyze the compatibility between software implemented in C# and SQL. The language was chosen to promote usability and database storage robustness. Parameters like response and usability were evaluated and results were considered satisfactory in terms of compatibility between the local control and the supervisory control. Internet of Things in parallel with Assistive Technologies can promote greater independence for people with disabilities and improve long-term therapies results inside the hospital. The proposed control architecture also allows big data analysis, a potential source for clinical discoveries in future.