In a medical emergency, seconds count. But if the doctor needed is in another part of the hospital or even another part of town, then those seconds can stretch dangerously. If only the doctor could be in two places at once, then countless lives could be saved. This is one of the most promising applications in the emerging field of telepresence robotics and RP-VITA (Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant) - a joint development by the robotics firm iRobot and telemedicine company InTouch Health - is aiming to bring this closer to reality.
The idea of a telepresence robot doctor is surprisingly old. Popular Science editor Hugo Gernsback predicted “radio doctors” in the 1920s complete with remotely operated instruments, and in the 1950s he updated this to the “teledoctor," which envisioned patients renting two-way televisions with robot arms so their doctors could make house calls.
