Engineer creates robot to help healthcare workers provide remote care for their patients

Anthony James Bautista, engineer and assistant professor at the University of Santo Tomas (UST), created a robot to help medical professionals take care of their patients while minimizing direct contact, reducing the risk of infection.

The device was named LISA Robot – Logistic Indoor Service Assistant Robot – and it is meant to work as a service assistant, delivering medicine and allowing the medical professionals to communicate with their patients remotely. The idea came to Bautista during a conversation with Dr. Rodrigo Santos, who pointed out the necessity of such a device. The development process took Bautista five days and, due to difficulties in sourcing materials during the countrywide quarantine, was entirely built with the readily available tools in the lab.

The robot can be remotely controleed from 5 to 10 meters away and is equipped with a tablet to allow for communication between patients and their physicians and a box to hold the necessary medicine.“From that distance, health workers can communicate with their patients via video call. Not only can this minimize the contact, this will also conserve valuable personal protective equipment,” Bautista explained in an interview.

The project was approved by the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology, which requested 4 unit to be deployd in the countries hospitals. The first working prototype is already being used at UST’s hospital. The engineer is hoping to use the hospital’s feedback to further improve the device.

“I’m very passionate to contribute possible solutions for our health workers. My contribution pales in comparison with their sacrifices to save patients,” Bautista said.

Adapted from: https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/04/14/20/ust-engineer-creates-robot-to-ass...
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1260584/hospitals-front-liners-need-lisa-t...

https://youtu.be/4ZIKsPluPH8; https://youtu.be/JQMr3sfryiM