RoviDoc a Covid Doc!
By: Charmae R. Sarduma
In Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines, doctors will have an extra layer of support, albeit robotic ones, to keep track of COVID-19 patients.
The “Rovidocs” which costs P150,000, are equipped with a camera, thermal scanner to detect fever, a tray for medicines and a nozzle spray, and a liquid tank for disinfection, and are operated using a computer tablet. The robots can ensure that medicines are delivered on time and keep track of the patients’ hourly state.
According to Prof. Jayson Victoriano, designer of the Rovidocs, the robot will decrease the exposure of doctors and nurses to COVID-19 patients. “The robots will still be tailored to acquire a patient’s pulse rate, blood pressure, and body temperature,” Victoriano said in a presentation at the provincial government here.
Victoriano added that RoviDoc will begin making rounds as soon as more features were added to the prototype. Many of the robots’ electronic and steel elements were ordered from Metro Manila, but other parts had to be imported, causing delays in the production of further robots, he claimed.
Reference:
Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 16, 2020
