ABB’s robotic lab technician, YuMi, and Nurse Ratched have more in common than might appear at first blush. They’re both cold; they’re both heartless; and they both really want to help you take your meds.
But while Nurse Ratched notoriously represents the corrupting power of institutionalized bureaucracy, this robot, named YuMi, just wants to help hospitals and research labs run a little smoother.
The Swiss robotics and automation company showcased the roving lab tech earlier this fall at its new healthcare research hub, which is a collaboration with Texas Medical Research Innovation Institute in Houston. The hybrid lab combines a staff of 20 with an array of robotic assistants to test new ways that humans and machines can collaborate at the heart of medicine.
And there’s some urgency to their work. Baby Boomers are aging, and an unprecedented number of Americans are poised to enter the healthcare system over the ...
