At HCR 2010, Unicharm Human Care exhibited the Humany, a urine-aspiration robot.
The Humany is used by connecting it, through a tube, to a urine-absorbing pad. The pad has a built-in sensor, and when the sensor detects urine, the robot immediately suctions it automatically.
"Some people need a diaper change 6-7 times a day, but with the Humany, one change a day is enough. We've received positive feedback from users, like: "I feel very comfortable in the morning," and "It's great not having to change diapers at night. To use the Humany, you connect it to this sensor. Next, you insert the urine tube into this inlet. Then, this part is attached to the person's body, facing the abdomen. If urination occurs, it's detected by this sensor, and the pump starts up, transferring the urine to this tank. "
The Humany's automatic urine-collecting system was achieved by combining micro-pump technology from Hitachi and absorbency technology from Unicharm. The amount of urine left on the pad surface never exceeds 0.5ml, so the skin doesn't get damp. This system also reduces waste from disposable diapers to 10% of current levels.
"To maintain this system, you fill a plastic bottle with water, and press the manual suction button, to send the water from the bottle through the tube. In this way, the entire urine path is cleaned. Then, you can remove the tank to wash it."
The Humany unit itself is priced at 100,000 yen and under the Japanese insurance system, users can receive a 90% purchase subsidy.
Related Links :
- YouTube
- H.C.R.2010
