Robot nurses-mechanised angels

Hospitals of the future could be staffed by a new generation of nurses as far removed from the profession's Carry On film image as it is possible to imagine. They won’t wear blue uniforms or have fob watches pinned to their chests, and they certainly won’t be giving any bed baths.


Forget the shapely legs. These nurses will move on wheels, and their bedside manner may be somewhat unconventional. Robot nurses are being developed by a group of EU-funded scientists, and the first prototypes could be rolled out in as little as three years.


The mechanised "angels" will perform basic tasks such as mopping up spillages, taking messages and guiding visitors to hospital beds. You could also find them distributing medicines, and even monitoring the temperature of patients remotely with laser thermometers.


Thankfully, they won’t be replacing flesh and blood nurses altogether. In fact it’s hoped the robots will ease pressure on hospitals and free staff to spend more time with patients.


By helping to keep wards cleaner, they might also cut infections by hospital superbugs such as MRSA. Scientists from the universities of Warwick, Cardiff, Dublin and Newcastle are among the engineers and software experts taking part in the "IWARD" project.


Each "nursebot" will consist of a mobile platform mounted with a module of sensors and equipment for different tasks. It might be fitted with a laser thermometer which can measure body heat from a distance, or cleaning equipment to mop up spills.


While the hardware and modules can employ off-the-shelf technology, making the robots sufficiently intelligent and autonomous will require some ground-breaking work.


Project leader Thomas Schlegel, from the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, is developing the advanced software with experts from the University of Warwick.


He told The Engineer magazine: "The idea is not only to have mobile robots but also a full system of integrated information terminals and guide lights, so the hospital is full of interaction and intelligence.


"Operating as a completely decentralised network means that the robots can co-ordinate things between themselves, such as deciding which one would be best equipped to deal with a spillage or to transport medicine."


He said one valuable service the robots could provide would be guiding people around hospitals, which are often confusing labyrinths of corridors and floors. A visitor would state the name of a patient at an information terminal and then follow a robot to the correct bedside.


If the nearest robot was not sure of a patient’s location, it could seek help by communicating with others in the right area. The robots will be fitted with sensors and cameras that allow them to avoid collisions, and may move from place to place quickly along high-speed lanes.


They will also employ face and voice recognition technology to communicate with patients and spot unauthorised visitors.

"The human-robot interaction will be tricky, as the robots will have to be able to deal with people with different injuries and disabilities as well as the elderly and seriously ill patients," said Schlegel.