Robots designed to help in medical settings have been successfully tested by experts. The Spring robot greeted patients, assisted with daily tasks, and held conversations with multiple people simultaneously.
Wednesday 31 January 2024 08:26, United Kingdom
The robot, which is said to be capable of natural conversation and understand patient needs, has been successfully tested in medical settings.
The Spring (Social Assistance Robot in Geriatric Care) unit greeted patients, answered questions, and provided instructions during an initial trial at the Paris Hospital Support Facility in France.
The robot has artificial intelligenceI was also able to understand conversations involving multiple people at the same time.
Researchers hope robots that also assist with daily tasks could free up hospital staff’s time and reduce patient anxiety.
Professor Anne-Sophie Rigaud, head of the hospital’s department, said that “older people” valued the hospital’s “information and interaction” with cognitively impaired patients.
“Our patients are increasingly interested in robotics and the evolution of hospital services, and they see it as a logical evolution of our society,” she said.
“We believe that ARI robots have the potential to become an integral part of patient care in hospitals in the future thanks to their social interaction and teaching abilities.”
The robots also reduced potential physical contact between clinicians and patients as part of the trial by performing simple but repetitive tasks.
Early feedback suggests that the use of social assistance robots may reduce the risk of infection while also increasing productivity for nurses and doctors.
The trial was carried out by staff at the Edinburgh-based National Robotarium, whose AI professor said the rapid advancement of such technology “opens up a world of possibilities for positive impact”.
“One of the most important contributions of robotics and AI is its ability to save resources and reduce human workload,” added Oliver Lemon.
“The prospect of robots working seamlessly with hospital staff to improve the patient experience is now closer to reality.”
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The National Robotarium – a partnership between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh – is being funded through the £1.5 billion Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Agreement.
It has also received funding of £300m from the Scottish Government and £300m from the UK Government.