A broad consortium consisting of Danish municipalities, Regions and technological centers in December stood behind the user test of the RoboticBed ® developed by the Japanese company Panasonic. The bed is a newly developed product, where weak or disabled citizens without assistance and without getting out of bed can make it into a wheelchair - only by pressing a button.

Report shows great potential

The consortium has just completed a report on RoboticBed ® and its possibilities and limitations for citizens and staff in the Danish healthcare sector. The report makes generally clear that the use of RoboticBed ® will benefit both users and caregivers in their daily routines - the first by getting them greater self-reliance in daily life, and the last example because of fewer heavy lifts and an improved working environment.

In addition, RoboticBed ® could potentially create a greater flow of everyday life for both users and staff as the need to move users between bed and wheelchair for example, can be significantly reduced.

Improvements can give more users

RoboticBed ® has few specific user groups but a variety of potential users. And that is because of several properties on the bed which make it unfit for many groups of users. Among others, users must by themselves be able to get from the beds sitting position and for example into a wheelchair to get most benefits from the functionalities in the bed. That is a physical task which many users will not be able to handle.

Another problem is that the bed not in horizontal position can be elevated to the height required for Danish caregivers. In addition, the user can not step out of bed in sitting position because of the footrest which can not be pushed aside as in a normal wheelchair. As a fourth point the bed is not adapted to Danish weight standards where it needs to carry users up to 200 kg.

The collaboration between Panasonic and the Danish consortium gives the Japanese company a unique insight into the Danish welfare model and sector - and the Danish needs for services to weak citizens. This is an insight that gives the company more opportunities to handle the Danish and European markets for welfare services.

Consortium

Odense Municipality
Aarhus Municipality
Aarhus University Hospital
Odense University Hospital
Region of Southern Denmark
Central Denmark Region
RoboCluster
Alexandra Institute