Human-robot skin-care helper for people who can’t bathe themselves
Official title: SCH: Human-Robot Contact for Bathing and Skin-Care Assistance
Funded at Carnegie-Mellon University · NIH-11332778 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A robot-assisted system helps people with disabilities or illness keep their skin clean and cared for, reducing caregiver burden and preventing pressure injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Carnegie-Mellon University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $287,153 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB036842-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11332778 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with disabilities or illnesses that limit independent bathing or skin care and who would benefit from assisted, robot-enabled skin-care support.
✕Less likely to help
People who can bathe independently without assistance or who have conditions making robot contact unsafe may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to create a safe, easy-to-use robotic assistant that can help with bathing and skin-care tasks for individuals with limited motor function. It will tailor tasks to each person’s abilities and preferences, and gather detailed data on hand movements and contact pressures to guide safe interaction. The work includes developing new control methods and interaction methods so people can feel comfortable working with the robot and using it consistently at home or in care settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce pressure injuries, lessen caregiver burden, and improve daily skin care for people who cannot bathe themselves.
How similar studies have gone: Previous robotics work in caregiving shows promise, but this project is among the first to create an individualized skin-care task representation and a detailed hands-on database for safe robot interaction.
Where this research is happening
-
Carnegie-Mellon University
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pollard, Nancy S — Carnegie-Mellon University
- Study coordinator: Pollard, Nancy S
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.