Boston Dynamics is known for its autonomous walking robots. The robot dog spot has also been part of the portfolio since 2019. This could turn out to be a small care revolution in the corona pandemic. But there are also problems that technical assistants bring with them.
It’s true: When you see the autonomous robot dog named “Spot” by Boston Dynamics, the demonic dog creatures from the Netflix hit series Stranger Things quickly come to mind.
And that’s not entirely surprising either. After all, Spot is designed to find your way independently in difficult environments and to take on tasks in difficult-to-walk terrain.
Boston Dynamics sees the fields of application primarily in the construction industry, in the oil and gas industry and for monitoring buildings and places in the public sector.
Boston Dynamics sends Spot from the construction site to the hospital
In summary, Spot is suitable for use in dangerous or inaccessible environments.
It is therefore not surprising that Boston Dynamics has now discovered a new area of application for its robot dog in the Corona crisis. We are of course talking about hospitals, intensive care units and mobile examination tents.
Because unlike doctors and nurses, Spot cannot become infected with the corona virus. This makes it perfect for maintaining communication between sick patients and the hospital staff.
Exchange, vital signs and disinfection
To meet these demands, Boston Dynamics has equipped its robot dog with a smartphone including two-way communication. This function enables Spot to act as a harmless mediator between Covid-19 patients and the treating staff.
But it shouldn’t stay that way. In the next steps, Boston Dynamics plans that Spot will be able to record some vital signs using sensors and cameras. In this way, body temperature or breathing frequency could soon be recorded without human help.
Finally, the robot dog is also suitable as a cleaner. If the device is equipped with disinfectant and a heater, Spot could easily disinfect rooms or objects and thus curb the unintentional spread of viruses.
A question and a disadvantage when used with Covid 19 patients
So far, it sounds like the Boston Dynamics robot dog is a little miracle weapon for hospitals when treating contagious patients. There are two restrictions.
On the one hand, Spot represents a risk when the virus spreads. The robot dog cannot infect itself. However, if the technology is not cleaned regularly and thoroughly, the caring dog will quickly turn into a walking virus donor.
On the other hand, the interpersonal aspect plays a decisive role in patient care. The future will show whether and to what extent a technical nurse can meet the needs of the sick.
The first field trial in the US state of Massachusetts received very positive feedback. But just because the Covid 19 patients did not react negatively in this case does not, of course, rule out such reactions in the future.
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