A robot in the emergency room

In Belgian hospitals, visitors will be greeted by a Pepper robot

BBC news: Pepper robot to work in Belgian hospitals

In Belgium, two hospitals – CHR Citadelle hospital in Liege and AZ Damiaan hospital in Ostend – have purchased robots that will act as receptionists, meeting visitors and helping them navigate the hospital. The Pepper robot was developed by Softbank in partnership with Aldebaran, and the Belgians from Zora Bots wrote special software for it. Both medical institutions are already using small Nao robots in pediatric and geriatric departments, which are also made by Softbank.

Pepper is a humanoid robot with a height of about 1.2 m, which is able to recognize 20 languages and understand whether a man, woman or child is addressing him. The device is programmed to recognize human emotions. In the hospital of Liege, the robot will work only in the reception area, and in Ostend, it will also escort visitors to the departments they need. The basic cost of the product is $ 1,850, but an improved model for $34,000 will work in medical institutions. Over 1,000 Pepper robots have already been sold in Japan. Such devices work in banks, shopping malls and on the railway, hospitals are equipped with them for the first time.

The management of the hospital in Liege plans to make it one of the most futuristic medical institutions in the world, according to its director of public relations Nathalie Evrard. This is planned to be achieved through the design and acquisition of more robots. However, some experts are skeptical and doubt that the robot will recognize human emotions.

Robots have been used more and more in medicine lately – a robot surgeon performs operations, a robot from meat helps to get swallowed batteries, and a companion robot will soon be available for families where children have autism spectrum disorders.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  16.06.2016