US Boston Dynamics team builds 'dog-like robot' to attend to COVID-19 patients

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have created dog-like robots to attend to the COVID-19 patients and take a test while the medics remotely provide consultations. According to the press release issued by the MIT news office, these newly created mobile systems by Boston Dynamics could reduce health care workers’ exposure to COVID-19. The dog robot is controlled with the use of a handheld device and can perform tasks such as carrying tables for medications and checking symptoms in coronavirus patients. 

“In robotics, one of our goals is to use automation and robotic technology to remove people from dangerous jobs,” an MIT postdoc, Hanwei Huang said in the release. “We thought it should be possible for us to use a robot to remove the health care worker from the risk of directly exposing themselves to the patient.”

At least four cameras are installed in the dog-like robot by the researchers at Boston Dynamics that can measure skin temperature, breathing rate, pulse rate, and blood oxygen saturation like the pulse oximeter in the patients. It can perform these tasks while social distancing at 2 meters apart from the patient. “We are thrilled to have forged this industry-academia partnership in which scientists with engineering and robotics expertise worked with clinical teams at the hospital. It introduces sophisticated technologies to the bedside,” MIT assistant professor of mechanical engineering, a gastroenterologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the senior author of study Giovanni Traverso said. 

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Humanoid robot 'Atlas'

Boston Dynamics is known for designing the AI humanoid robots, as earlier, AI and machine learning researcher Lex Fridman shared footage of a man-like robot that had gymnastic skills and could ace the bodyweight exercise challenges. The robotics design company's human-like machine displayed versatility bound on a platform, doing push-ups, squats, and running, imitating the natural human body movements in the supervision of a scientist.

Named as ‘Atlas’, the world’s most dynamic humanoid robot has been designed to push the limits of whole-body mobility according to the designers at Boston Dynamics. With advanced control-systems world’s most compact mobile hydraulics, the aim of the machine is to deliver “impressive” feats of human human-level behaviour. In the video, one can see the “outstanding” performance of the AI machine that’s “human agile” to avoid obstacles, assess the terrain, help with navigation, and manipulate objects. The tech-man stands about 5′ 9″ tall weigh approximately 80 kg, and has 28 hydraulic joints, according to the company's specifications of the machine.  

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(Image Credit: MIT website)