Intelligent Control Architecture for Assistive Mobile Robots

The current technology has provided the necessary means for creating better assistive tools. Among these tools, the interest on assistive robotics has been growing, since its cost is being reduced and new equipment is introduced on the market. Yet, developing robots for aiding therapy is not an easy task because robotics is intrinsically multidisciplinary. Among the several research fields contributing to robotics research, two are of particular interest: control architectures and human–robot interaction. This paper covers ongoing research projects on assistive mobile robots for child rehabilitation developed in collaboration with Brazilian and Colombian Universities and proposes an intelligent control architecture based on human–robot interaction for assistive applications. Furthermore, it presents a case study on assistive robots for special education.