With the advancements made in robotics and technology these days, we wouldn’t be too surprised to see that robots might end up as our caregivers one of these days, and the RIBA robot nurse is definitely a step in the right direction. Patients who wake up from a nasty accident to see RIBA tending to them might get a shock, thinking that they are in another parallel universe at first – after all, ugly nurses are one thing, but a robotic bear nurse? That’s totally whacked out! RIBA stands for “Robot for Interactive Body Assistance” and was developed by researchers at Japan’s Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) and Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd. (TRI). It’s main purpose would be to assist nurses by lifting patients in and out of their beds and wheelchairs, alongside providing assistance on and off the toilet. The 180 kg robot bear can handle weight of up to 61 kgs, and was designed after a bear to put patients at ease instead of a more human-looking model.

Source: Pink Tentacle