Boston Dynamics’ Spot finds a new career in telemedicine amid COVID-19 pandemic
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Fitted with an iPad and a two-way radio, Spot is being used as a mobile teleconferencing system, allowing doctors to check in on patients without risking the spread of the highly contagious virus. It’s a fairly simple task — and one that a number of robotics companies have actively cracked.
While ultimately price-prohibitive for many healthcare facilities, Spot’s four-legged locomotion makes it possible for the robot to visit areas inaccessible for wheeled systems. The modularity always means it has the potential to accomplish further tasks. Boston Dynamics says it’s working on outfitting the robot with a system to detect vital signs like temperature, respiratory rate, pulse rate and oxygen saturation.
In the future, a UV light could also be mounted to the robot’s back to serve as a mobile disinfecting station.
See the full story here: https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/23/boston-dynamics-spot-finds-a-new-career-in-telemedicine-amid-covid-19-pandemic/