Modern technology and gadgets are very interesting because we see in them something new and unusual that makes us acquire something from them. Usually, we tend to lose attention to these gadgets after several weeks or months. After that, the gadget is put away into a closet or into a corner of our garage. Find out more about joy and care provided to patients in European hospitals by the ZORA robot.
Gadgets vs Robots
Opposite to gadgets, robots are the one that must fill our basic needs and continue to provide us with pleasure day after day, week after week.
Tens of thousands of home personal robots have been sold over the world during the past decade, but very few of them still play an active role in the lives of their human owners. There are few robots that really fulfilled their promises and constantly contribute to improving the quality of life, like the ZORA robot, giving us a significant understanding of the ways in which robots and people can live and work together, building a bright future.
The ZORA Robot
The ZORA robot is created by a small application development company called QBMT with headquarters in Belgium. It is currently being successfully used in hospitals, care facilities, and other similar organizations in Europe.
The Zora robot is a friend, it is not a doctor. Based on the humanoid platform Aldebaran NAO, QBMT developed special software, as well as a library of applications tailored to the specific needs of their customers.
ZORA robot does not replace hospital or caregivers. Instead, it supports and complements them. And he is able to achieve this in a friendly, non-threatening way. While patients tend to view staff as reputable individuals, the robot works more like a friend and ally. This allows you to completely avoid the “white coat syndrome”, which occurs too often in hospitals and clinics.
The ZORA robot has endless patience, never gets angry and shows no frustration for patients, even when they have problems. A similar relationship is observed in robots like NAO, which were used with autistic children. Older people and children, as a rule, easily relate to robots as opposed to human personnel. This greatly helps speed up progress no matter what treatment or rehabilitation regimen is applied.
Another positive feature is that doctors and the service personnel can remotely monitor patient interactions. Also there is an option to heal remotely using video and audio streaming embedded in the robot.
The robot can also be used in non-clinical situations. It brings diversity and joy to patients. In some cases, the robot leads the game sessions in bingo.
ZORA Robot Deployment
As of the beginning of 2015, ZORA robots have already been deployed in 53 locations. The company typically supplies two robots so that one is always available for backup to intervene. This is in case if a technical problem pops up. Based on user feedback and real-life monitoring experience, the company is constantly improving and expanding systems when developing new projects.