Boston Dynamics’ Spot the robot dog a contact free way for doctors to measure. patient vitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. It kind of reminds me of that hybrid dog in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers that had a human head.
Using four cameras mounted on the dog-like robot, the researchers have shown that they can measure skin temperature, breathing rate, pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation in healthy patients. Plans are in place to test the Robo Docs to approach people who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 in a hospital emergency department.
The robots, controlled by a handheld device, can also carry a tablet that allows doctors to ask patients about their symptoms without being in the same room. A Robo Doc would cost about $75,000.
One of the horrible aspect of dying from COVID-19 is that you must die alone since visitors are not allowed. Hospitals are purchasing iPads essentially on music stands that can be st up so that a patient who is dying can say good bye to family face to face. The iPad stations allow patients to communicate with their friends and family, often for the last time. A photo posted Thursday of iPad stations being prepared for patients in the ICU has gone viral on Twitter, amassing more than 115,000 likes and 27,000 retweets in just days. iPads are often used right before patients are intubated. At this point, there’s no guarantee that the patient will have an opportunity to speak to their loved ones again.