Now, Japanese hospital to get an android touch

TOKYO: Robots have made their debut at a Japanese hospital where an android receptionist and two porters now work alongside their human counterparts. Aizu Central Hospital in Aizu-Wakamatsu some 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of Tokyo introduced the trio on October 28 at a cost of 60m yen ($508,000).

The receptionist robot, produced by Japanese robot maker Tmsuk, welcomes visitors at the entrance and answers spoken inquiries. The two porter robots, which can move around on two wheels at a maximum speed of 1.5 kilometers per hour (about one mph), can carry luggage and take visitors and patients to their destinations.

The 1.3 meter (four-foot four-inch) high white-and-green robotic porters can also alert people to obstacles with their sensors. “They are the nation’s first receptionist and porter robots actually working in a hospital, and people’s reactions to them are quite positive,” hospital official Naoya Narita said.

“By introducing them, we want to show the scene of a future hospital, where robots are getting along with patients and visitors,” Narita said, adding that the hospital is considering introducing another robot next year.

Japan leads the world’s robotic industries in fields ranging from manufacturing to entertainment and security. Last year, Japanese companies unveiled a horde of prototype androids at the World Expo in central Japan.