Studies have highlighted that the rate of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) among nurses is the highest of any profession, primarily due to tasks that involving manual transportation. Among the various symptoms of MSDs, lower back pain emerges as the most prevalent. Beyond the physical toll, MSDs significantly impede productivity, diminish the quality of healthcare services, result in labor loss, and contribute to a growing inclination to leave the nursing profession.
In response to these challenges, this project introduces two key features aimed at enhancing the manual operation of carts. The first innovation is a power-assist system designed to alleviate the push/pull effort required when operating logistic transportation units, such as medical, food, and laundry carts—particularly on slopes and carpets. This proposed feature boasts a natural interface, eliminating the need for a throttle paddle, brake handle, or speed switch. Upon the operator initiating the pull/push action on the handle, the electrical motor seamlessly generates assist torque. When there is no force detected on the handle, the cart will start to slow down gradually. Additionally, an embedded obstacle detection system dynamically adjusts the speed to prevent collisions during pushing.
The second feature integrated cloud connectivity between the central server in the facility and the cart through WIFI or 5G. This allows the cart to receive the real-time data, such as the navigation guidance, tasks, resident details, medication recodes, and more.
