The Robot’s Turning Blue!
What good is a robot that has to be resuscitated when it stops breathing? Or why invent one that breathes in the first place?
Apparently, some people have a very good use for machines that mimic human qualities, including their weaknesses (like breathing and lacking air). Medical practitioners who want to sharpen their skills would rather practice on robots because if they fail, the robot will only suffer a mock death.
Torrance Memorial Medical Center chose to spend thousands of dollars to expose their staff to these technologies. Not content with the 3 artificial patients they already had, the hospital recently added a baby robot to their roster, shelling out some $35,000 in the process.
Simantha, the baby robot, was even given a warm welcome fit for a real baby. The robot’s shower was attended by staffers and volunteers who decorated the venue with pastel colors, participated in games, sipped some punch, and even brought gifts (which were actually to be donated to a facility for unwed pregnant women).
Simantha’s main features include the ability to cry, hiccup, seize, stop breathing, and even react to medication overdose. She would only change her condition once the proper procedure is performed.
Robots are steadily being integrated into the medical and health care system and we’ve got some more articles featuring them:
- InTouch Robot Beams Doctor’s Presence Into Your Hospital Room
- A Boon for Baby Boomers – Robots to Assist Healthcare Practitioners
- Robot Might Just Hold Autism Puzzle’s Missing Piece
- Tiny Robot Can Crawl Through Your Veins
