Boston Dynamics Open-Sources Health Care Robotics Toolkit, Sends 'Spot' Robot To Help Hospitals Remotely Treat COVID-19 Patients

watha2020 writes: Spot, the four-legged robot made famous by its YouTube dance video, is being tested as a remote triage system at Boston's Brigham Women's Hospital. A Spot robot carrying an iPad allows doctors to interview possibly infected patients at a safe distance. [Spot is also carrying a pouch near the robot's "tail," which allows it to deliver small items such as bottled water to infected patients, without the need to send in a nurse. The report adds that an upgraded model will add cameras that can measure a patient's respiration rate and body temperature, with no need to make physical contact.] An anonymous Slashdot reader also shares news that Boston Dynamics today open-sourced its health care robotics toolkit on GitHub. "The company hopes that existing Boston Dynamics customers and other mobile robot providers can use the toolkit, which includes documentation and CAD files of enclosures and mounts, to help health care workers and essential personnel and ultimately save lives," reports VentureBeat. "The mobile robot provider outlined four use cases for its toolkit: telemedicine (which it has already deployed), remote vitals inspection, disinfection, and delivery."

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[redback]

giving one to Adam Savage was a PR stunt.

This is actually doing useful work.

Re:Thanks Boston Dynamics

[110010001000]

Definitely. Every hospital needs a $80,000 robot dog that can deliver water bottles.

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[cb88]

You know if it were a self contained system that wasn't controled remotely it would acutally be good... it could monitor patients and be impartial, however, all off this sort of stuff is bound to be internet connected and at some point it becomes the robot jamming an IV in the wrong vein full of air instead of a nurse with a gripe (happened to my dad, the merely moved the nurse to another floor).

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[Randj Herdle]

Three's a real future for robotics in telemedicine. And not just DaVinci machines.There's been some use of telepresence robots at Sick Childrens Hospital in Toronto to let patients participating in normal classrooms. Kids really like them.

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[rldp]

those tik tok videos are serious business on the front lines and a dancing robot dog is just what this womens hospital needs to get ahead

Obligatory, at this point

[moxrespawn]

I, for one, welcome our new robot or paw underlings!

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[moxrespawn]

* opposable thumb not considered a sufficient differentiator

Cute but

[enigma32]

That's a nice idea... but...

If I were a patient, I would find it rather depressing to have the staff playing with a robot that brings me a bottle of water,
instead at least seeing a person from time to time.

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[TigerPlish]

If I were a patient, I would find it rather depressing to have the staff playing with a robot that brings me a bottle of water,
instead at least seeing a person from time to time.

Nah. No way. Well maybe yeah, the nice staff, like the day-shift.

'cause I gotta tell ya, I did a two-week stint in Holy Cross Hospital for some pretty gnarly surgery, and the night-shift staff doesn't give a fuck. Dayshift was allright, but nightshift didn't care. I went into a-fib and they took *forever* to come, and then another forever to find someone with a clue. Unresponsive to requests.

I would *very* much rather talk / interact to a machine, than with the night shift nurses. To hell with every s

I see.

[Patent Lover]

So a freakishly looking dog robot comes to help you with your suspected COVID 19 infection. You die of a heart attack. City has a chance of opening sooner due to lower COVID 19 deaths.

Where's da video?

[AndyKron]

Is Spot really necessary for this? And where's the obligatory mind-blowing video?

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

A robot dog that tends other robots

[Growlley]

They have re-invented the sheep dog.

Spot robots dressed up as nurses

[thesjaakspoiler]

The hospital is going to be cosplayers heaven even amid the Covid mayhem.

Don't want Atlas at my bed side though

[thesjaakspoiler]

Him dressed up as a doctor would be a good theme for a B-rated horror movie.

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[Growlley]

well they do say dogs can smell out failing coffin dodgers.

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[cusco]

Handle would be worse.

How Will Experience Making Killing Machines Help?

[BrendaEM]

Boston Dynamics appears to make nothing more than killing machines. How will this experience help people?

Can it really handle delivery?

[damnbunni]

I mean, the Spot robot only has one gripper. The strength appears to be reasonable, but how is it going to hold up AND spank the baby?