Ebola Fighting Robots Could Add A Layer Of Safety For Healthcare Workers
Ebola fighting robots could one day help fight the spread of the deadly disease without human interaction. Scientists are currently debating what type of robots to use, and how to use them for various tasks.
During the Safety Robotics for Ebola Workers conference on November 7, different workshops throughout the country will bring together “healthcare workers, relief workers and roboticists.” According to Computerworld, the groups of workers will brainstorm ways in which telepresence robots could “act as rolling interpreters,” “deliver food and medicine,” “decontaminate equipment,” and “help bury victims” of the Ebola virus.
Robin Murphy, professor of computer science and engineering at Texas A&M University, will host the event alongside the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and UC Berkeley. According to Murphy, “[Health specialists will] talk about what they need and then we can talk about what we can offer.” She also adds, “What can we do in the next few months and then what do we need to do in the longer term? What should we have five years from now?”
Taskin Padir, an assistant professor of robotics engineering and electrical and computer engineering at WPI, adds, “stressed that use of technology should not be seen a replacement for human care workers,” but rather a way to “minimize contact.”
While it would be great to find the perfect solution for using Ebola fighting robots, Murphy hopes that the November 7 workshop will at least be a teachable moment for students at Texas A&M. Students at the university are already attempting to convert a four-wheeled Bobcat into a robot that can respectfully carry the bodies of deceased Ebola victims.
With nearly 10,000 people already suffering from the Ebola virus in Africa, researchers are working as quickly as possible to find solutions that add a new layer of safety to Ebola containment processes.
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