Meet Nurabot, Foxconn's AI robot nurse already treating patients
What's the story
Taiwan is leading the way in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, with hospitals now deploying AI-powered robots to address a worldwide nursing shortage.
The move comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the world could face a shortage of 4.5 million nurses by 2030 due to burnout.
Nurabot, the futuristic robot nurse developed by Foxconn and NVIDIA, aims to address this problem by taking over some of the most grueling tasks in clinical care.
AI in healthcare
Nurabot: The AI-powered solution to nursing burnout
Nurabot is a collaborative nursing robot designed to alleviate burnout among nurses.
It is one of the many smart hospital tools Foxconn has developed using NVIDIA technology.
Others include AI models for tracking patient vitals and digital twins for better hospital design.
Combined, they are turning conventional hospitals into AI-powered institutions, making them more efficient to operate and better to care for patients.
Tech integration
How does the AI-powered system work?
The integration of these technologies starts at the data center where NVIDIA supercomputers train massive AI models.
Hospitals then test and train robots in virtual environments before deploying them in real-time scenarios.
This workflow, powered by NVIDIA technologies like Jetson Orin, Holoscan, and the Omniverse platform, is already revolutionizing how hospitals work, diagnose diseases, and plan treatments.
Hospital adoption
Taiwan's leading hospitals embrace AI-powered technology
Leading medical centers in Taiwan including Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Baishatun Tung Hospital, Mazu Hospital, and Cardinal Tien Hospital have already adopted this technology.
Shu-Fang Liu, deputy director of the nursing department at TCVGH, which is conducting a field trial with Nurabot, said, "Taiwan has a highly developed healthcare infrastructure with a strong push toward digital health transformation."
Liu also added, "Robots are augmenting our capabilities so we can provide more focused, meaningful care."
Robot details
Nurabot: A joint venture between Foxconn and Kawasaki Heavy Industries
A product of Foxconn and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Nurabot is loaded with advanced technologies for real-time sensing.
It performs tasks like delivering medicines, patrolling wards, and guiding visitors.
As Foxconn says, Nurabot can cut down the workload of nurses by 30%.
Liu further explained that "For nurses, having a robot assistant reduces physical fatigue saving them multiple trips to supply rooms and allowing them to focus more on patients."