AI Medical Robots
Last Sunday, the future hit me. I was in church, praying for those in the congregation who requested prayer, and I heard about “AI medical robots.” Someone in our congregation had been in the hospital, recovering from surgery, and he was becoming aggravated by his personal AI medical robot. Unsure of what this meant, I decided to do some research. It made me realize that the future is already here, not as distant as many assume.
In this post, we will learn about AI medical robots and their pros and cons.
What is an AI Medical Robot?
As it turns out, the particular robot I am speaking of has a name! Its name is Moxi. Moxi robots are designed to assist nurses with tasks like delivering lab samples, picking up medicine, and using AI to interact with patients. This particular AI robot was designed by Diligent Robotics with the intent of reducing nurses’ time on basic tasks and improving efficiency, as well as staff morale.
Pros of Using Moxi
As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic was a pivotal time in the nursing field. Many nurses left due to stress factors as more patients entered the hospitals and less help was available. With Moxi’s assistance, simpler tasks are removed from a nurse’s workload, allowing them to focus on more intensive tasks, ultimately improving workplace morale and mental health for nurses.
Another pro of using Moxi is that the robot is loved by children. The hospital is a very scary place for most kids, but Moxi helps calm the nerves of patients by interacting with them in their hospital rooms. Moxi can even distract patients and bring smiles to their faces as it moves through the hallways.
The last benefit of using Moxi is that this robot can ultimately help organize and store patient profiles. Moxi can learn the individual needs of a patient and ensure that all of their care is properly implemented, reducing the room for human error.
Cons of Using Moxi
To be honest, there aren’t too many cons to this medical robot, but the biggest concern for many adults is whether or not Moxi can maintain privacy. How much information is being stored by Moxi? Is there a potential risk of Moxi spying on patients, even in instances of bathroom use?
Moxi is often an enjoyable robot companion, but some patients might find it a bit annoying to constantly have an AI-powered robot at their side. Sometimes, people who are hurting or sick desire a bit of alone time and rest.
Conclusion
All in all, most individuals, patients, and nurses alike, can greatly benefit from the use of medical robots like Moxi. Though some may find it annoying, many find it helpful, or even life-saving. Nurses with boosted morale mean better care and boosted morale for the patients, too! In many ways, medical robots seem far out of reach, but the reality is, these robots are doing good for the community, and they’re already here. If you haven’t encountered one of these AI robots just yet, you can expect to see one soon.