Development of Low-Cost Robotics Platforms for Assistive Automation

Abstract

As populations age and the number of individuals requiring mobility or daily-living assistance increases, there is a pressing demand for affordable, accessible robotic platforms that can provide practical support. High costs and complexity of commercial assistive robots severely limit their adoption beyond specialized institutions. This paper describes the design, development, and evaluation of a low-cost robotics platform for assistive automation, targeting domestic tasks and mobility assistance for elderly or differently abled users. The proposed platform integrates low-cost sensors, microcontroller based control, simple manipulators or mobile base modules, and modular design principles to minimize cost while maintaining functional capabilities. Prototypes are tested for basic manipulation and mobility tasks, such as object retrieval, tray carrying, and wheelchair-like mobility support. Performance evaluations indicate acceptable reliability, safety, and responsiveness under varied realistic scenarios. The platform’s modular and open source architecture enables easy customization, maintenance, and scalability. Practical deployment in homes and care facilities could significantly improve quality of life and autonomy for end-users. The study argues that democratizing robotics technology through low-cost platforms is a feasible and socially impactful direction, especially for developing-country contexts where resource constraints demand cost-effective solution.