RBE404TC — Full System Architecture

Remy — Integrated System Map

Three subsystems · Vacuum pick-and-place · External Bluetooth vitals · AI companion interface

🔵 ① Top Zone — UI & Interaction
📺 Touchscreen Display
Angled ~20° surface. Shows medication schedule, vitals dashboard, AI chat UI, and dispensing status.
3.5" TFT · Raspberry Pi
📷 Camera Module
Mounted in head housing. User identification, gesture detection, and presence sensing.
Pi Camera v2
🎙️ Microphone + Speaker
Wake-word detection. Two-way voice interaction with Remy AI companion. TTS voice output.
Voice I/O
🤖 LLM AI Companion
Claude / GPT-style LLM logic. Context-aware conversation using medication history, connected vitals data, user status, and caregiver reporting.
Cloud AI
📡 External Health Devices
Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure monitor and pulse oximeter provide vitals data. Remy receives, displays, and contextualises readings within the AI companion system.
Bluetooth · BP · Oximeter
🟣 ② Middle Zone — Robotic Dispensing
⚙️ Stepper Motor (Top Plate)
Drives lead screw for Z-axis actuation. Also drives carousel rotation via separate motor/bearing. Controlled by Raspberry Pi via motor driver.
NEMA 17 Stepper
🔩 Lead Screw + Guide Rods (×2)
Converts motor rotation to vertical carriage motion. Twin guide rods prevent wobble. Provides precise Z-axis positioning.
Z-axis Actuator
🧲 Moving Carriage Block
Slides on guide rods. Holds vacuum fitting and nozzle. Offset ~60mm from center to align with pill pickup pocket in each bin.
Key Innovation
💨 Vacuum Nozzle (End Effector)
Silicone-tipped conical nozzle. Gentle grip on pills. Connected via flexible silicone tubing routed along Z-axis carriage.
End Effector
🌀 Vacuum Pump
Base-mounted. Generates −60 to −80 kPa suction. ON during pill pickup, OFF to release. Controlled via relay from Raspberry Pi.
−60~−80 kPa
🍩 Rotating Carousel (Donut)
8 sectors: 7 medication bins + 1 drop/funnel sector. Rotates in 45° indexed increments. Center hub on bearing system.
Indexed · 45° steps
🟠 ③ Lower Zone — Storage & Delivery
📦 Wedge-Shaped Medication Bins (×7)
Removable, slide out radially via side door. Sloped walls + funnel-like base guide pills to pickup pocket at inner radius.
Removable · Radial
🚪 Side Service Door
Curved panel. Opens only when target bin is aligned. Enables single-bin access during guided user loading. Prevents accidental access.
User Safety
🔽 Drop / Funnel Sector
Dedicated 8th carousel sector. No bin. Receives released pill from nozzle. Guides pill downward to dispensing tray.
Delivery Path
🥄 Dispensing Tray / Cup
Receives pill from funnel. User collects here. Accessible from front of Remy. LED illuminates when pill is dispensed.
User Output
🔌 Power + Electronics Base
Raspberry Pi 4, Bluetooth receiver/module, motor drivers, power management, vacuum pump relay, airflow intake. Cables routed along inner walls.
Raspberry Pi 4
⭐
Key Innovation
Integrated Companion Healthcare System
Unlike conventional solutions that address medication, monitoring, and interaction separately, Remy integrates these functions into a unified companion healthcare system. By combining a robotic dispensing mechanism, external Bluetooth-enabled health monitoring devices, and an AI-driven interaction layer, Remy enables continuous and contextualised care within a single platform. Within this system, a top-mounted Z-axis vacuum end effector with an offset of ~60mm from the rotation centre enables precise alignment with each bin’s pickup pocket as the carousel indexes — ensuring reliable, single-pill pick-and-place regardless of pill shape or size. This integration transforms fragmented point solutions into a cohesive, user-centred experience, while the precision dispensing mechanism ensures mechanical reliability compared to conventional gravity-based systems that suffer from multi-pill release and jamming.
▸ Mechanism Operation Sequences
💊 Dispensing Sequence
1
RTC triggers scheduled dose
2
Carousel rotates → correct bin aligns under nozzle
3
Carriage descends via lead screw
4
Vacuum ON → nozzle picks pill
5
Carriage lifts with pill attached
6
Carousel rotates → drop sector aligns
7
Vacuum OFF → pill drops into funnel
8
Pill guided to dispensing tray
🔄 User Loading Sequence
1
User initiates loading mode via screen
2
Carousel rotates → Bin 1 aligns with side door
3
Side door unlocks and opens
4
User pulls bin radially outward
5
User fills medication into bin
6
Bin reinserted → door closes
7
System auto-advances to next bin
8
Repeat until all 7 bins loaded
❤️ Vitals Check Flow
1
Remy prompts user to use connected health device
2
External BP monitor / pulse oximeter measures vitals
3
Vitals data sent to Raspberry Pi via Bluetooth
4
Raspberry Pi parses data and checks thresholds/baseline
5
Normal → Remy confirms + logs reading
6
Anomaly → alert + caregiver notification sent
🤖 AI Interaction Flow
1
Wake word detected by mic
2
Whisper STT converts voice → text
3
Context injected: connected vitals + med history + time
4
LLM API called with full context
5
Response generated + Piper TTS speaks aloud
6
Daily summary generated → caregiver app
▸ Full System Data & Signal Flow
🕐 RTC Trigger
→
🍩 Carousel Index
→
🔩 Z-axis Descend
→
💨 Vacuum ON
→
⬆️ Lift Pill
→
🔽 Drop Sector
→
🥄 Dispensing Tray
→
🤖 Remy Notifies User
→
❤️ Vitals Check
→
📡 Bluetooth Devices
→
🧠 Remy Processing
→
📲 Caregiver Log
UI / Control (Top Zone)
Robotic Dispensing (Mid Zone)
Storage & Delivery (Lower Zone)
User Output
External Vitals / Alert Path
Caregiver / Cloud