Research Article

Hobbit: Providing Fall Detection and Prevention for the Elderly in the Real World

Table 1

Set of hand/arm postures/gestures considered for the gestural interface of Hobbit.

User command Upper body gesture/postureRobot commandRelated scenarios/tasks

YesThumb up-palm closedPositive response to confirmation dialogues. YES gestureAll (1 m to 2 m distance to robot)
NoClose palm, waving with index finger upNegative response to confirmation dialoguesAll (1 m to 2 m distance to robot)
Come closerBend the elbow of one arm repeatedly towards the platform and the bodyReposition the platform closer to the sitting userAll (1 m to 2 m distance to robot)
Cancel taskBoth open palms towards the robotTerminate an on-going robot behavior/taskAll
PointingExtend one arm and point in 3D space towards an object (lying on the floor)Detect and grasp the object of interest towards the pointing 3D directionPick up an (unknown) object from the floor
RewardOpen palm facing towards the robot and circular movement (at least one complete circle is needed)Rewards the robot for an accomplished action/taskApproach the user
EmergencyCross hands pose (normal-range interaction)Emergency detection, initiated by the userEmergency detection