Robotic nurses may come in handy with health-care staffing shortages
Might address the challenges of an aging population
Amid a growing shortfall of qualified nurses in the U.K., students and professors at Imperial College London are developing a robot with dexterous 3Dprinted fingers to assist the elderly or physically challenged.
A modified version of a robot nicknamed Baxter, the machine has two mechanical arms, an animated face, as well as sensors to help it analyze patterns and detect if a human user is struggling to lift or move a limb.
“There’s an increasing need for technologies that will allow people to maintain their independence, and through that, satisfy their fundamental human desire for privacy and dignity,” Yiannis Demiris, the director of the personal robotic laboratory at Imperial, said in an interview.
Baxter was first built in 2011 by a U.S. startup and has since become one of the main research robots used by universities helping grad students learn about robotics. It has undergone trials to help aid workers in Africa, to working on factory conveyor belts.
Imperial’s version aims to improve the machine’s ability to read motions and build the skills it has so it can complete tasks such as dressing. The scientists are also 3D printing “fingers,” increasing its dexterous capabilities.
Baxter analyzes movements it observes over time, allowing medical professionals to see if the person using the robot is suffering changes in their mobility. If you’re struggling to put on a shirt, for instance, Baxter will adjust its own position and help you get dressed.
Demiris said AI is necessary for robotic assistants to learn about the preferences and abilities of those they help, “so as to personalize their assistance and maximize its benefits.”
The Imperial researchers saw a need for creating a version of Baxter after looking at nursing shortage statistics paired with aging population demographics.
For the year ended March 31, a little more than 10 per cent of available nursing positions within Britain’s National Health Service were vacant, according to data compiled and published by the NHS.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is grappling with its own nursing shortage and a report by Health Affairs predicts it’ll intensify amid immigration policy discussion; more than a quarter of direct care nurses weren’t born in the States.
Japan has already introduced robotic care for the elderly. The country’s population is increasingly elderly, with more than 27 per cent aged 65 or older, according to the Statistics Bureau of Japan.
California’s Intuition Robotics has also created a robotic companion called ElliQ to help older people combat loneliness.
The robot at Imperial is in the research phase and no commercial trial has yet been agreed.