The world's first robot capable of lifting and transferring patients will soon be put to the test in nursing homes and other health care settings. Commercialization of the robot should follow in about three years, said Chris Salzberg, a spokesman for the global relations office of RIKEN institute of Physical and Chemical Research.
RIBA-II will be used to help nurses and other health professionals do the heavy lifting of patients during bed-to-wheelchair or other transfers, Salzberg said in an interview at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting.
The Japanese love affair and expertise with robotic technology has produced a robot with enough "joints" that it can bend its arms to hold a human body and even crouch down to floor level, if necessary. The robot, which has adorable bearlike facial features, has a soft exterior, touch-screen panels, tactile sensors and travel guidance controls.
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