Meet Your Teddy Bear Nurse!

Friday, March 5, 2010, 11:58

Meet RIBA, he will be your happy faced teddy bear nurse, he will listen to your commands and would lift you from your bed, if there is a need. RIBA is, Robot for Interactive Body Assistance and can lift a weight of 61 kg on its foam padded arms and can do a lot more.

"We have developed RIBA because we want to help caregivers when they are required to transfer patients between hospital beds and wheelchairs," Dr. Toshiharu Mukai, the research head said.

The research and development of the teddy bear nurse took two years and is covered in a soft skin designed to protect patients. The robot can also recognise faces and voices, as well as respond to 30 spoken commands.

While the battery-powered robot can operate for up to an hour on a single charge and is more agile and stronger than its predecessor, the Ri-man. However, there is no information available as in how much money was spent on this innovating gadget cum nurse.

Dr. Toshiharu Mukai, the lead researcher, said the device was developed to lift hospital patients in and out of their wheelchairs and beds. The device would be seen in hospitals and retirement homes within three years.

Mukai said battery-powered RIBA was based on a teddy bear because humanoid robots could leave people uncomfortable.

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