Thursday, April 16
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
GHC 4405
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
GHC 4405
Observational Study to Inform Wound Care Robotics Design
Abstract:
The integration of robotics and assistive technology into wound care offers a promising solution to growing patient demand amid a global nursing shortage. While assistive technologies, including robotics for dressing removal and AI for wound measurement, have shown promise for isolated tasks, research has yet to evaluate nurse wound care practices from a technology design perspective. Specifically, where technology can most effectively support nurses, what manipulation capabilities care tasks require, and what design considerations emerge from clinical practice. To address this gap, we conducted an observational field study in which we observed nurses perform 86 wound care sessions across a hospital and an assisted living facility. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected quantitative time-motion data alongside qualitative observations from each session. Through thematic analysis, we define and characterize all observed tasks, organizing them within a taxonomy that differentiates physical from social tasks and identifies associated interaction subjects (e.g., patients, visitors, aides). We report the time demands of each task category and the frequency with which nurses requested assistance across tasks. We then examine manipulation approaches across care tasks, characterizing grasping strategies, contact regions, bimanual and mobile manipulation, common motions, and workspace use. For each area, we identify dominant techniques, describe the clinical context driving their use, and highlight how approaches vary across tasks and interaction subjects. Building on these findings, we present design considerations for assistive technology in wound care, including tasks that serve as promising entry points for technological innovation. To illustrate how our findings translate into robotic design decisions, we fabricate a novel end effector for wound dressing. Together, these findings offer a foundation for developing robotic and assistive systems that align with the manipulation needs and workflow realities of wound care.
Committee:
Henny Admoni
Zackory Erickson
Zeynep Temel
Zilin Si