Robot Nurse Bear

By Miss Cellania in Health, Science & Tech on Aug 27, 2009 at 12:07 pm

Japan is facing an aging population and a shortage of nurses. the robotics industry, on the other hand, is booming. Introducing RIBA, which stands for “Robot for Interactive Body Assistance”. RIBA can pick up and carry people weighing as much as 135 pounds.

The cheery-looking machine has long, multi-jointed arms embedded with an array of tactile sensors that help it optimize the lifting and carrying of humans. For safety purposes, RIBA’s entire body is covered in a soft skin molded from an advanced lightweight urethane foam developed by TRI. The soft skin is designed to ensure the comfort of patients while they are being carried. In addition, the arm joints yield slightly under pressure — much like human arms do — further increasing the level of comfort and safety.

Link (with video) -via Digg