Meet Moxi: Socially intelligent robot to help healthcare industry
In a bid to lend a helping hand to overburdened nurses and medics, hospitals in the US would start using Moxi, a socially intelligent robot that can assist the clinical staff in day-to-day tasks. The robot, which is backed by artificial intelligence, serves as a friendly assistant and uses its dexterous hands and mobility to grab medical tools or restock supply rooms.
The problem of back-end activities in hospitals
Normally, the clinical staff of a hospital spends nearly 30% of its time in back-end tasks or running back and forth between supply rooms. This not just puts them under immense stress but also sways them away from the primary goal of patient care. The staff gets less time to keep an eye on the patients' health situation. And, that's where a robot like Moxi can help.
Enter AI: Moxi to the rescue
Though the situation is complex and can be solved by introducing more staff into medical facilities, select hospitals in Texas decided to bring Moxi to the rescue. The AI-backed machine, built by Diligent Robotics, moves around on wheels and features a head, display-integrated torso, and rotational arms. This way, it grabs medical supplies and takes them to the doctors, without wasting the staff's time.
And, how does Moxi work?
Moxi promises to be a helping hand and can be customized to fit each hospital's needs. When addressed by a nurse, it moves its head and LED eyes towards that person and initiates the assigned task. LiDAR and a set of cameras are employed for collision-free movement. The bot also displays certain social cues as well as its intention before jumping onto another task.
Relationship between man and machine
The work done by Moxi, as its developers believe, would augment the relationship between man and machine. "Moxi's goal as a robot is not to replace the jobs of people, but quite the opposite: to support people in their roles," Diligent Robotics CEO Andrea Thomaz said. They also believe Moxi could establish trust between patients and hospital staff, bolstering AI's use in healthcare settings.
