Using robots to help with bathing and skin care for people with disabilities
Official title: SCH: Human-Robot Contact for Bathing and Skin-Care Assistance
Funded at Carnegie-Mellon University · NIH-11138728 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is all about creating friendly robots that can help people with disabilities take care of their skin and prevent pressure injuries, making it easier for them to stay healthy and for their caregivers to provide support.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $289,251 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB036842-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11138728 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals with disabilities, illnesses, or injuries that limit their ability to maintain personal hygiene and skin care.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are fully independent in their personal care routines may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing robotic assistants to help individuals with disabilities maintain their skin health, particularly in preventing pressure injuries. The project aims to create a database that captures how expert caregivers perform skin-care tasks, which will inform the design of robots that can safely assist with bathing and skin care. By incorporating user preferences and adapting to individuals with limited motor functions, the robots will provide personalized support to enhance skin health and reduce caregiver burden.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve skin health and quality of life for individuals unable to perform bathing and skin care independently.
How similar studies have gone: While the use of robots in healthcare is an emerging field, this specific approach to skin-care assistance is novel and has not been extensively tested in prior research.
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
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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.