A teleoperated bottom wiper

Abstract

In order to aid elderly and/or disabled people in cleaning and drying their posterior after defecation, a teleoperated bottom wiper is proposed. The wiper enables a person sitting on the toilet seat to wipe his/her bottom by specifying the wiping position and strength with a computer mouse and keyboard. The proposed teleoperation is novel in that the operator and target are the same. The operator feels force feedback through the buttocks instead of the hands. The result of a user study confirmed that users could successfully wipe the buttocks with appropriate position and strength by teleoperation. Since it is controller by the user, the teleoperated wiper is suitable for accommodating each participant's preference of the moment.