Monday, December 1, 2008

What's New(s) in Science

Robots that fetch: Device could help disabled at home

I found my two articles at CNN and Science Daily. The article from CNN http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/12/01/robot.health.aide/index.html talks about how at the Center for Healthcare Robotics at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, they are testing a robotic machine that can help disabled people fetch items. Professor Kemp is focused on programming the machine to locate and fetch common household items such as; a bottle of pills, a cell phone, TV remote, and open doors. This robot could provide people with some independence and give caregivers a break.
The robot is about 5 feet tall, with a single robotic arm that can move up and down to pick objects up. During the demonstration in a living-room setting at Georgia, they used a laser pointer to identify what the robot was to get. They robot got the object 94.8 percent of the time.
They hope this robot will help people who are in wheelchairs, the elderly, and people with diseases like arthritis and diabetes. There is still a lot of research to be done with the machine to function in homes on a daily basis.
This robotic machine is taking away jobs from service dogs. The article from Science Daily http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081026101212.htm talks about this, while the robot may not be able to mirror the personality and furry companionship of a canine, it does have other benefits.
This study and research will help people with different kinds to diseases and disabilities and help them feel more independent.

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