This Robotic Drinking Apparatus Helps Those with Cerebral Palsy
To help those with limited mobility gain some independence, Rice engineering students developed a robotic drinking apparatus called RoboCup.
Cerebral palsy is a general name for a few different disorders that affect a person's muscle control, often resulting is an almost complete loss of movement. Because of its severity, many people with cerebral palsy need constant care. Even a simple task like drinking water may necessitate the assistance of a caregiver. To help those with cerebral palsy gain some independence and to reduce the workload of caregivers, a pair of engineering students from Rice University developed a robotic drinking apparatus suited to the limitations imposed by these disorders.
Many of those living with cerebral palsy are able to retain some limited control over some of their muscles. For example, a person may be able to move a finger. This project, called RoboCup, takes advantage of that to give the user the ability to drink on their own without the assistance of a caregiver. Thomas Kutcher and Rafe Neathery, Rice University engineering students, developed RoboCup for and with Gary Lynn, a local man living with cerebral palsy. After coming up with a practical and affordable solution, they made RoboCup open source to help others around the world.
RoboCup works by rotating within a cup holder or clamp on the user's wheel chair. A long, flexible "straw" extends from the cup and sits out of the way most of the time. When the user wants a drink, they can activate RoboCup and the straw will rotate to within reach of their mouth. That straw is the same kind of flexible, segmented hose that we often see used for coolant jets on CNC mills and it was chosen to allow for easy positioning of the nozzle. The user can activate RoboCup using a conventional tactile button or with a distance sensor, so there are options to suit the individual's capabilities.
To ensure that anyone can access RoboCup, Kutcher and Neathery designed the system to be very DIY-friendly. All of the custom mechanical parts are 3D-printable and all of the electronic components are available off-the-shelf. An Arduino Nano board waits for user activation, then uses a servo motor to rotate the straw into place. There are different options to suit the individual's needs and budget, such as a thermos versus a plastic bottle and a check valve versus a bite valve.
The current affordable solution to this problem is a "giraffe bottle," but that is static and remains in front of the user's face at all times. RoboCup is a much less obtrusive option that gives users both agency and dignity.