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(Image Source: Engadget)
BY STEVEN SPARKMAN/COLLIN RUANE ANCHOR CANDICE AVILES
The company that brought you the Roomba and other robots to clean your house may soon
be making — your doctor.
The FDA has approved iRobot’s RP-VITA for use in hospitals, meaning the robodoc could
start showing up in the ward by the next time you’re admitted.
Of course, the RP-VITA isn’t going to be treating you on its own. Think of it more
as a way to teleconference with your doctor, no matter where he or she is.
“RP-VITA will access patient data, notify the doctor to join in, and provide them with
the infomatics they need to perform a complete patient evaluation.”
The Boston Herald’s BizSmart notes the biggest accomplishment is the fact that the robots
do not need first-hand assistance. iRobot chairman and CEO Colin Angle says …
“‘The major breakthrough … is the fact that these robots can bring themselves to
where they’re needed … No robot has ever been approved to navigate through hospitals
before for telemedicine.’”
And Engadget reports RP-VITA is a lot more intelligent than one might think. It has more
medical expertise than some humans have.
“The RP-VITA should prove nimble enough for medical triage, with obstacle detection
and avoidance baked into the mechanical pillar.”
RP-VITA will cost between $4,000 and $6,000, and are expected to be shipped this spring.