A hospital in Boston is using Boston Dynamics' famous 4-legged robots to screen patients for the coronavirus — here's how it works

Mary MeisenzahlApr 24, 2020, 02:15 IST

Boston Dynamics Spot robot.Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer/The Boston Globe

Boston Dynamics' four-legged robot, Spot, is being used in a Boston hospital to work with COVID-19 patients.
The company has spent the past month building and testing ways for robots to protect healthcare workers.
Boston Dynamics says it will make the hardware and software open source so they can be used by other manufacturers as it works on developing more telemedicine and disinfecting robots.
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The latest robot to join the fight against the coronavirus outbreak is Spot, Boston Dynamics' four-legged, dog-like robot.

Spot has been used at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston for the past two weeks, according to a statement released Thursday. Boston Dynamics is a robotics company based in Boston that is known for its designs that mirror life-like movements that resemble people and animals leading to an uncanny valley effect that may make viewers uncomfortable.

Around the world, robots are being used to minimize the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, by taking food preparation jobs, performing medical intake exams, and even disinfecting entire cities.

More controversially, robots and drones have been used to enforce coronavirus lockdowns in some countries, and US police have started adopting them for outreach.

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The document says that Spot could use a 3D-printed tray to carry supplies like food and medicine to patients in isolation, further protecting healthcare workers.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Spot® robot image provided courtesy of Boston Dynamics, Inc.

In GitHub, Boston Dynamics also references a possible use of the robot for delivery within the hospital, though it's still in the prototype phase.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer/The Boston Globe

Boston Dynamics says that with a UV-C light attached, Spot could be used to disinfect hospitals, or other public spaces like subway stations.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer/The Boston Globe

They're also in the early stages of equipping Spot for disinfection.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Spot® robot image provided courtesy of Boston Dynamics, Inc.

...but the company noted that other kinds of mobile robots, like those on wheels, might be better for this situation.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Spot® robot image provided courtesy of Boston Dynamics, Inc.

They're using Spot for triage medical situations, like in tents or parking lots...

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Spot® robot image provided courtesy of Boston Dynamics, Inc.

The company said it made both more generalizable, so they can be used on robots not designed by Boston Dynamics.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Spot® robot image provided courtesy of Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Boston Dynamics is making the software and hardware designs for this telemedicine robot open source, so other manufacturers can apply them.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer/The Boston Globe

Researchers think thermal cameras could be used to take temperatures and respiratory rates, and external cameras could potentially measure changes in blood vessel contraction to find pulse rate

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer/The Boston Globe

Researchers think thermal cameras could be used to take temperatures and respiratory rates, and external cameras could potentially measure changes in blood vessel contraction to find pulse rate

They're working on ways for Spot to measure body temperature, respiratory rate, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer/The Boston Globe

Next, Boston Dynamics hopes to develop technology that will allow Spot robots to inspect patients' vitals.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer/The Boston Globe

Boston area hospitals started reaching out to Boston Dynamics in early March asking for robots that could help minimize staff exposure to COVID-19.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Spot® robot image provided courtesy of Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Limiting exposure of healthcare workers also means that they can conserve PPE.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer/The Boston Globe

Boston Dynamics says that for every shift completed by a robot, at least one healthcare worker can decrease their exposure to coronavirus.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Spot® robot image provided courtesy of Boston Dynamics, Inc.

Before using the robots, patients with COVID-19 symptoms would line up to get assessments from healthcare providers in tents, which would require up to five members of medical staff to potentially be exposed to each patient.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer/The Boston Globe

Before using the robots, patients with COVID-19 symptoms would line up to get assessments from healthcare providers in tents, which would require up to five members of medical staff to potentially be exposed to each patient.

Using this setup, doctors can talk to patients and evaluate their symptoms from afar, without having to put themselves at risk of exposure.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer/The Boston Globe

Spot robots are equipped with an iPad and two-way radio.

Boston Dynamics Spot robot. Spot® robot image provided courtesy of Boston Dynamics, Inc.

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A hospital in Boston is using Boston Dynamics' famous 4-legged robots to screen patients for the coronavirus — here's how it works

The document says that Spot could use a 3D-printed tray to carry supplies like food and medicine to patients in isolation, further protecting healthcare workers.

In GitHub, Boston Dynamics also references a possible use of the robot for delivery within the hospital, though it's still in the prototype phase.

Boston Dynamics says that with a UV-C light attached, Spot could be used to disinfect hospitals, or other public spaces like subway stations.

They're also in the early stages of equipping Spot for disinfection.

...but the company noted that other kinds of mobile robots, like those on wheels, might be better for this situation.

They're using Spot for triage medical situations, like in tents or parking lots...

The company said it made both more generalizable, so they can be used on robots not designed by Boston Dynamics.

Boston Dynamics is making the software and hardware designs for this telemedicine robot open source, so other manufacturers can apply them.

Researchers think thermal cameras could be used to take temperatures and respiratory rates, and external cameras could potentially measure changes in blood vessel contraction to find pulse rate

They're working on ways for Spot to measure body temperature, respiratory rate, pulse rate, and oxygen saturation.

Next, Boston Dynamics hopes to develop technology that will allow Spot robots to inspect patients' vitals.

Boston area hospitals started reaching out to Boston Dynamics in early March asking for robots that could help minimize staff exposure to COVID-19.

Limiting exposure of healthcare workers also means that they can conserve PPE.

Boston Dynamics says that for every shift completed by a robot, at least one healthcare worker can decrease their exposure to coronavirus.

Before using the robots, patients with COVID-19 symptoms would line up to get assessments from healthcare providers in tents, which would require up to five members of medical staff to potentially be exposed to each patient.

Using this setup, doctors can talk to patients and evaluate their symptoms from afar, without having to put themselves at risk of exposure.

Spot robots are equipped with an iPad and two-way radio.