Toshiba introduces its prototype housekeeping robot “ApriAttenda” in Kasawaki.
FILE PHOTO

Commercialization of nurse robots seen in 5 years

Thursday 26th March, 07:00 AM JST

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biglittleman at 10:34 AM JST - 26th March

to summarize, it works like this: World creates demand, Japan creates product. Not the other way around.

bamboohat,

That's not always true, but I get your meaning. Let the "Ghost in the Shell" begin.
neverknow2 at 11:05 AM JST - 26th March
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Expect a spate of AV movies featuring robot nurses delivering health to frustrated patients.
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Thanks for the laugh!

Unfortunately, this is not new and it already exists!!!
FryingMonkey at 11:32 AM JST - 26th March

REAAAAALY!!?? Instead of increasing the population of an ever aging and dieing country of much needed educated, able and willing health care human professionals, let’s waste more money on another government agency “The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization” and build us some robots to change the nappies of the old and young alike! OH that’s right the able and willing professionals are foreign… Can I get my robot in fuschia?
noypikantoku at 12:36 PM JST - 26th March

Nurse's job is not just giving medications to patients, the most important job they do is giving care and making the patients feel that eventhough they're feeling pain or sick, everything is gonna be alright. I hope The ROBO-NURSE could do the same!
jaybeeb at 12:59 PM JST - 26th March

Agree with Bamboohat. Japan would be should be focusing on renewable energies technology.

FryingMonkey, what the world needs badly is less people, not more. Maintaining a steady population through immigration should be Japan's aim.
FryingMonkey at 01:08 PM JST - 26th March

jaybeeb - that was the point i was making. japan needs to keep up its work force, which it is failing to do on its own. japan needs to open its doors more to immigrants, especially in the health care department.
highhope at 01:10 PM JST - 26th March

From my observation during my stay in a hopsital, the idea of the robotic nurse will not work because robots can not perform the following duties; 1. Inserting an injection needle in my poorly visible veins. It requires high human skill. 2. Cleaning and dressing the wound. When the robot peels off the sticky gauze wrapped around the wounds without extreme care, patients will suffer from big pain. 3. Inserting a catherter into the bladder to drain the urine. It will be impossible as it needs extremely delicate manipulation of the private part. 4. Prescribing medicine according to the patient's disease requiring intellectual decision as to which maedicine is to be given. Some drugs are given to patients without doctor's order. 5. Psychological care. Robots have no emotion to tender patient's broken heart.

Then, duties of robotic nurses are simple labor works such as cleaning the room or moving patients from this to that room. Those works can be done by cheap imported labor.
intomioka at 02:58 PM JST - 26th March

Let's remove emotion, feeling, social responsibility, care and concern and replace it with robots! We are tired of pretending anyway.

Let's robots Nippon!
WillB at 06:19 PM JST - 26th March

Well they should also think about energy. I mean if robots are mass used, they ll need lots of energy and Japan already used hugh amount of money in it.

Anyway I can't wait to hear a : "Are you Sarah Connor? Here is your medicine."
oberst at 07:32 PM JST - 26th March

want the robot industry to take off like the North Korean rocket ?

Make them humanoid ( done that already ) AND in girl school uniform !!
jonnyboy at 07:52 PM JST - 26th March

this is how scared japan is of mass immigration.

how on earth do they think a load of metal and plastic is going to provide the emotional care and attention that is such a massive part of the medical profession? bye, bye, nippon. it's been nice knowing you
Jeff198524 at 09:27 PM JST - 26th March

I don't see why so many people on ere whine and complain about Japan. No country needs a population increase or even a stable population. A massive decrease worldwide is needed.
winniebhoy at 04:04 AM JST - 27th March

I don't see why so many people on ere whine and complain about Japan. No country needs a population increase or even a stable population. A massive decrease worldwide is needed.

Thankyou.
suebe36d at 11:20 AM JST - 27th March

Fear of others' moods & prejudices will sell more robots than personal services
YuriOtani at 04:12 AM JST - 28th March

Bring in enough "outside" people and Japan will no longer be Japan but an extension of the PI, Thailand, etc.