UCI to help develop robots to protect healthcare workers, reduce isolation

UCI to help develop robots to protect healthcare workers, reduce isolation

“COVID-19 has changed how we work and interact with each other,” said co-principal investigator Veronica Ahumada-Newhart, a research scientist at UCI’s Institute for Clinical & Translational Science. “We are extending our earlier work to new environments where there is a high risk of infection: patient care and community engagement.” … To address this, the research team will develop easy-to-operate, low-cost robots. Called UC Iris, they will give homebound people opportunities to engage with the outside world and healthcare workers the ability to physically examine patients without risking exposure.