Empowering independence with feeding robots at at Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore (CPAS) Special Education School

For clients of the CPAS Special Education School, feeding robots enrich their life with a greater level of independence as they navigate day-to-day motions.

“Our goal is to enhance their quality of life by providing a solution that enables them to feed themselves with dignity and minimal assistance,” said Manju Mohta, Principal Occupational Therapist and Head of Assistive Technology Hub of CPAS. 

The special education school serves students with moderate to severe multiple disabilities, with carefully designed programmes that help them live meaningfully, learn continuously and work productively.

The school recently adopted the use of an autonomous feeding system, Obi, which has been specially designed for individuals with trouble feeding themselves due to physical disabilities. When a user taps on the device’s pressure switches, a robotic arm scoops up the food, swivels, and safely positions it towards the user’s mouth. Some potential service users are those living with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury or muscular dystrophy.

The technology has enabled CPAS to optimise its resources, giving teaching staff more time to “concentrate on other areas of support” while being assured that clients are effectively tended to during mealtimes.

A teacher at the school also shared that her student was able to feed themself independently, thereby increasing their self-esteem. They even started looking forward to mealtimes.

Manju wants to encourage other social service agencies to “embrace digital transformation gradually” with a deep understanding of what the organisation requires.

“Start with small pilot projects that address particular problems, then integrate these technologies step-by-step,” she adds, explaining that staff training and timely feedback were crucial elements to ensuring effective implementation.

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