See my other Robot related posts) – Robots keep showing up in our workplaces. One of those that have made appearances is the Ava Robotics telepresence robot. Ava is a spinoff of iRobot in 2016. They are being used in the corporate world and for hospitality applications.
It is easy for a user to safely navigate the Ava Telepresence robot. The remote environment can be a workspace, an event space, or a retail space. The Ava unit provides HD video up to 1080p along with full-fidelity audio. The user controls the Ava via an iPad, iPhone, or computer web browser. The Ava units are fully autonomous and use depth cameras and lidar to navigate on their own.
Now the Ava is being tried in the hospital. In the COVID-19 environment we are in, the telepresence robots are even more important. They allow quarantined medical staff to visit patients and assist at hospitals. The Ava also allows staff to enter patient rooms without exposing themselves. The robot relies upon a HIPAA compliant communication system to ensure patient privacy.
Use of the Ava is also saving on protective gear. Usually every time a medical staff member enters the room of a COVID patient, they must ‘suit up’. When they leave the room, they must take off all their protective gear and disposed of it. Hospital staff can go through a lot of protective equipment in a day. With the Ava, staff can make a virtual visit to patients. Then the robot is cleaned and disinfected. It can be sterilized like other hospital equipment.
Further Reading
John's Notes 