Posted on 06/07/2007 1:29:24 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
Robot teachers for USA nursing institute
By Thomas Claburn
7 June 2007 12:15 AEST
General News
Educators annoyed by the mental absence of gadget-engaged students now have their revenge: they can be physically absent while they teach.
The Nursing Institute of West Central Ohio today said it would begin using the Remote Presence Robotic System (RP-7) to allow nursing faculty to teach from remote locations.
Debi Sampsel, executive director of the institute, said in a statement that the RP-7 would help alleviate a shortage of nursing faculty.
"As baby boomer nurses in education approach retirement, this technology will provide them with a new career option," she said.
"This cutting-edge technology makes it possible for nursing faculty with chronic disorders or disabilities to continue to contribute to nursing education. It provides a seasoned workforce faculty with an option to work while on vacation or in retirement from anywhere in the world."
The vacation curtailment potential of the RP-7 is perhaps its least compelling feature. Resembling the Jetsons' domestic robot Rosie following a flat-screen head transplant, the 200-pound RP-7 has a camera that lets its laptop-equipped remote operator see and maneuver. A second camera linked to the laptop sends the operator's face to the robot's head-screen, in effect humanizing the machine.
The RP-7 relies on "a patented Holonomic drive system to achieve omnidirectional or human-like mobility," according to its manufacturer, InTouch Health.
"Under the direct control of a physician, the robot can be safely maneuvered throughout the hospital environment.
Rolling on three spherical balls rather than wheels, the robot can be easily steered down a hallway, alongside a patient bed or nursing station, and around hospital equipment."
Over 100 InTouch Health robots have been deployed in hospitals around the world, without reports of any machine uprising, or patient rebellion for that matter. According to the company, studies indicate that patients would rather converse with a familiar disembodied doctor than deal with an unknown physician.
It's not clear that doctors are keen to reciprocate by weighing down their golf bags with a laptop control unit.
Can robot teachers really be much worse than Indian-borb TA’s in massive lecture halls?
Related news story:
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/technology/article_21285211.shtml
“Robot Joins Nursing School Faculty”
borb should read born. Ugh.
No.
This will create a new twist on the teacher sex scandals.
:^)
So what?
I had one of those robot teachers in the second grade. She tried to pass herself off as human, but we knew better.
Anne Francis looked good, but never THAT good!
This is a rather confusing article. It starts off talking about nurses and ends talking about doctors. Doctors generally don’t, and can’t, teach nursing. Lame stream media at it again.
Well obviously they are useful for something. One of the companies I work for is building robotic medical devices that talk to and interact with the patient. They require no operator or technician to perform a very sophisticated test, analyze the results, and upload the data into the patient’s medical records for the doctor to review later. It is not the future, it is here now and doctors are buying them as fast as the company can make them. The company plans to have a whole series of these devices.
“Doctors generally don’t, and can’t, teach nursing.”
Not true at our medical school.
Ooba, ooba
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