Researchers at RIEN and Tokai Rubber Industries in Japan have developed a new robot which is designed to assist with nursing care, and it is capable of lifting a patient from the floor or a bed up to 80KG in weight and then it can move them to either a bed or a wheelchair.
The RIBA II robot is designed to be an assistance to care givers and patients, and the companies who developed it intend to put these robots into production.
A new robot using high-precision tactile sensors and flexible motor control technology has taken Japan one step closer to its goal of providing high-quality care for its growing elderly population. Developed by researchers at RIKEN and Tokai Rubber Industries (TRI), the new robot can lift a patient up to 80kg in weight off floor-level bedding and into a wheelchair, freeing care facility personnel of one of their most difficult and energy-consuming tasks.
There are no details on when these robots will actually go into production and how much they will cost, it does seem like a good idea, and could be used in hospitals in the future to aid nursing staff.
You can see a video of the RIBA II Robot in action over at YouTube.
Source Reasearchsea