Roomba makers iRobot trialling RP-VITA medical robot

iRobot, the creators of the popular Roomba cleaning robot, have created a medical assistant dubbed RP-VITA (Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant) aimed at being used in hospitals. RP-VITA is the result of a $6 million investment in InTouch, with the robot able to navigate hospitals using a myriad of sensors, such as sonar, a laser range finder, and two cameras. The robot is also able to intelligently create a map of the designated hospital, although it’s primarily navigated using a joystick by a remote doctor.

RP-VITA is designed to be used by a remote caregiver, able to hold video calls for around five hours via an included monitor and webcam. The robot can be controlled remotely using a laptop, desktop, or iPad, and is designed to be used in emergency situations so that doctors can get quick access to a patient. Information about patients can be pulled down over WiFi, and when not used for video calls the RP-VITA can access records via a medical cloud storage system. Just like the Roomba, it will return to a charging base when it needs more power.

The RP-VITA has all the sensors to navigate a hospital without any assistance, but it can’t be used unaided until it’s given the go-ahead by the FDA, which could happen by the end of the year. It isn’t InTouch’s first robot either: the company previously created the RP-7, reportedly at work in around 600 hospitals and serving 70,000 patients each year. RP-VITA, meanwhile, will cost hospitals between $4,000 and $6,000 a month to run.

[via Mashable]


Roomba makers iRobot trialling RP-VITA medical robot is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
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The Robot Doctors of the Future Are Coming [Medicine]

Remember how in sci-fi tomorrowland we were promised that doctors would be followed around by robots who knew your medical history by rote and could make sure that nothing gets missed? Well, we’ve woken up in the future because shit just got real. More »

iRobot, InTouch Health unveil RP-VITA telepresence robot, let doctors phone in bedside manner

iRobot, InTouch Health announce RPVITA telepresence robot, let doctors phone in bedside manner

In case you missed the memo, there’s quite a bit more to iRobot than adorable autonomous vacuums — these days the firm works on military projects, consumer electronics and tablet-controlled telepresence robots. Earlier this year, iRobot even retooled itself to build an emerging technologies group, announcing a partnership with InTouch Health to put its AVA telepresence technology to better use. Today the two companies are announcing the fruits of their labor — the Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant, or RP-VITA. The project aims to combine the best of iRobot’s AVA telepresence units with InTouch health’s own bots, creating an easy to use system that allows physicians to care for patients remotely without stumbling over complicated technology.

The RP-VITA features state-of-the-art mapping and obstacle detection and avoidance technology, a simple iPad user interface for control and interaction and the ability to interface with diagnostic devices and access electronic medical records. The remote rig will eventually be able to navigate to specified target destinations autonomously, though this feature is still being reviewed by the FDA for clearance. iRobot and InTouch are optimistic about the unit, but claim that the RP-VITA is only the beginning. “While this represents our first foray into the healthcare market, the RP-VITA represents a robust platform,” said Colin Angle, Chairman and CEO of iRobot, “we see many future opportunities in adjacent markets.” The new telemedicine assistant is slated to make its first appearance at InTouch Health’s 7th Annual Clinic Innovations Forum later this week. Check out the press release after the break for the full details.

Continue reading iRobot, InTouch Health unveil RP-VITA telepresence robot, let doctors phone in bedside manner

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iRobot, InTouch Health unveil RP-VITA telepresence robot, let doctors phone in bedside manner originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Visualized: a look inside iRobot’s gadget-filled ‘cool stuff room’ (video)

Visualized a look inside iRobot's gadgetfilled 'cool stuff room'

We’ve all seen a Roomba at one point or another, be it picking up debris around our feet in a friend’s living room or chauffeuring a courageous kitty for an entertaining clip on YouTube. Likely far less familiar, however, is iRobot’s gadget-filled Massachusetts headquarters, including the museum-like “cool stuff room” in the lobby. There you’ll find a large variety of autonomous devices, ranging from an early Roomba prototype that subs in a removable cloth for the vacuum to the relatively creepy My Real Baby — an $89 doll that cries for food and offers realistic reactions to tickling. There’s also plenty of industrial and military gear on hand, including a long cylindrical bot used for repairing oil rigs as they continue to operate, a full-size self-driving vehicle and a wall-climbing robot that uses suction cup wheels to ascend vertically. Some of the exhibits are downright creepy, such as a crab-like prototype which an iRobot employee referenced as being “inspired by nature,” though the company’s familiar household gadgets help to balance out the eerie. Sadly, the collection doesn’t appear to be open to the public, though IEEE was granted a tour, which it graciously filmed for your enjoyment — you’ll find that video walkthrough just past the break.

Continue reading Visualized: a look inside iRobot’s gadget-filled ‘cool stuff room’ (video)

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Visualized: a look inside iRobot’s gadget-filled ‘cool stuff room’ (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inside iRobot’s Vault of Failed Experimental Robots [Video]

The Roomba wasn’t the first machine iRobot had in the works. In fact, at the company’s headquarters in Massachusetts, all the flawed prototypes reside in a secret vault of old bots—mechanized ideas that never came to fruition. More »

iRobot Roomba 790 with Wireless Command Center hands-on (video)

What to get the homeowner who has everything? Perhaps a robotic vacuum styled in the fashion of an RC toy will fit the bill. Here at a gdgt event in New York City we happened upon iRobot’s Roomba 790, which comes with a touchscreen remote for manually controlling where the bot goes. The controller — make that the “Wireless Command Center” — has an interface matching the one on the 790 itself, so there’s no second set of menus to master here. In addition to deciding where it moves, you can also schedule daily cleanings or tap a “Clean” button to push the robot into action.Though this isn’t the first time iRobot’s dabbled in remote-controlled vacuum cleaners, previous models tended to rely on infrared sensors, meaning you could only control the Roomba if it was in your line of sight. This guy, though, uses a proprietary technology that allows you to program that 4pm scrubbing from up to 25 meters away.

As for battery life, it runs on four AA cells, and is rated for three to six months of runtime, depending on how compulsively you plan on cleaning. Interestingly, despite the change in wireless standards, the 790 is compatible with older 700-series Roombas, though it’s not as is the controller would be sold separately. If you happen to be the kind of fabulously wealthy family who can afford (and has a need) for multiple Roomba cleaners, you can only pair the remote with one robot at a time anyway. Don’t have the budget for a $700 robotic vacuum kit? We’ve got hands-on photos below and a demo video after the break.

Continue reading iRobot Roomba 790 with Wireless Command Center hands-on (video)

iRobot Roomba 790 with Wireless Command Center hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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