Throughout the world, companies are developing and adapting technologies to help treat those infected by covid-19 and prevent the virus from spreading. Check out some of the initiatives:

In Thailand, a group of robots originally developed to help take care of patients with other health problems was reprogrammed. The robots can take the temperature of sick people, observe the development of other symptoms, and hold video conferences with doctors so they do not have to go into the contagion risk area. Soon, this type of robot will also be able to bring medication and disinfect patient’s rooms. The invention, which has been nicknamed Ninja, is the result of a partnership between Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University and the company Advanced Info Service (AIS).

In China, one of the main subway networks, the MTR, recruited 20 robot models to clean the subway cars. In Milton Keynes, England, it is possible to shop and get the delivery at home via an autonomous robot that is equipped with a GPS system.

Since older adults are a risk group for coronavirus (that is, they could have more serious problems if they are contaminated), nursing homes around the world have temporarily cancelled visits. In Belgium, the company ZoraBots found a way to get around the problem by making robots equipped with wheels, screens, and 4G internet. That way, relatives of the elderly who are in nursing homes can be present through videoconferences.

In India, the company Asimov Robotis has developed a robot model to raise people’s awareness of the disease. The invention chats with people who are walking by and teaches them how to protect themselves from the disease. The robot also circulates along streets distributing masks and hand sanitisers, and also cleans surfaces.

Sources: Forbes, G1, and UOL

Questions

1) Why are several of the robots mentioned in the article equipped for videoconferencing?
a) To decrease contact among people, preventing the virus from spreading.
b) So doctors from other countries can help
c) So they have more medical resources
d) Videoconferencing is not very useful to them.

2) Which of the robots do you think is the most useful? Why?

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