PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a practical meal support system which is operated by a physically handicapped person who completely lost motor functions of upper limbs.SOLUTION: The meal support system includes a meal support robot 2 which provides meals to a user 1, one or a plurality of imaging means 3 which monitor the condition of the user and the condition of the meal support robot, a display means 4 which provides information including a motion menu and a cursor to the user, and a control means which controls the meal support robot from the information of the imaging means and makes the display means display the information. The meal support robot includes a dish 5 for foods to place foods, a food providing means 6 for providing the food to the user, a food push-out means 7 for pushing out the food on the dish on the food providing means, and a dish moving means 8 for moving the dish in the direction perpendicular to the push-out direction of the food push-out means. The food providing means, the food push-out means, and the dish moving means of the meal support robot are driven by an actuator, and each means is controlled by an orthogonal coordinate system.COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT【課題】 上肢の運動機能を完全に失った障害者でも操作可能で実用的な食事支援システムを提供する。【解決手段】 利用者1に食事を提供する食事支援ロボット2と、利用者の状態及び食事支援ロボットの状態を監視する1又は複数個の撮像手段3と、利用者に動作メニュー及びカーソルを含む情報を提供する表示手段4と、撮像手段からの情報に基づいて前記食事支援ロボットを制御するとともに表示手段に情報を表示させる制御手段とを有する食事支援システムであって、食事支援ロボットは、食物を載せる食物皿5、利用者に食物を提供する食物提供手段6、食物皿の食物を前記食物提供手段に押出す食物押出手段7、食物押出手段の押出し方向と直交方向に食物皿を移動させる食物皿移動手段8、とを有し、食事支援ロボットの食物提供手段、食物押出手段及び食物皿移動手段はアクチュエータにより駆動されるとともに、各手段は直交座標方式により制御される。【選択図】 図1
