yoga pose robot

This project was inspired by real world challenges that have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of social distancing precautions people are unable to participate in typical yoga classes. Yoga instructors often have to put their hands on their students in order to help them with their poses. 

This project attempts to use the popular Rethink Robotics robot Baxter as a makeshift yoga instructor. The goal of this project is to correct a person's pose. Baxter reaches out and nudges the person's arms from their original position into the desired one, attempting to mimic what an instructor would do. 

Possible applications for this technology move past just yoga. For example a similar concept could be used when teaching patients physical therapy. This would allow for contact free physical therapy which has become increasingly important since the pandemic hit.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic all of this work was completed using Gazebo simulation software to model Baxter and the human participant.