From TechNudge:It might look like a ruthless Dalek from "Doctor Who," (no it doesn't) but the robot prowling the wards at St. Mary's Hospital in London aims to medicate, rather than exterminate. The robot--dubbed Sister Mary--is part of a "remote presence" trial being run by the department of biosurgery and surgical technology at Imperial College. The aim? To allow doctors to examine patients remotely, using the robot as their eyes and ears.
The 5-foot-3-inch, 215-pound robot being tested out at St. Mary's boasts a camera and tilting screen, runs Windows XP Professional and operates over a wireless 802.11b network that provides a data stream of 600 kilobits per second each way.
"In the clinical trials that are going on at the moment we are looking at patient perception--what they feel about a robot coming in and talking to them--and remote examinations," said surgical specialist registrar Parv Sains, who is working on the trial.
Baby steps into the world of telemedicine. One day, this will be routine to make rounds on the weekends.
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