Robots are becoming vital in helping Japan in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Recently, the Tokyo metropolitan government unveiled robots that will be used in two hotels accommodating patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
The aim is to efficiently clean the hotel which accepts asymptomatic patients or those having light symptoms so as to decrease the burden on staff.
"Japan has an advanced robot technology and we want to use it to make the stay of patients in the hotel more safe and fun," Tokyo Metropolitan Government said.
To help with hospitality, humanoid robot welcomed patients in the hotel lobby.
This robot is designed to connect, assist, and share knowledge with them.
Another robot is a fully autonomous vacuum sweeper. It is powered by artificial intelligence that recognizes QR code and can map out the entire floor plan after one full sweep.
"Of course, having a clean floor minimizes the risk of infection to others. As for the humanoid robot, patients are getting worried and anxious about what is going on although they are not seriously ill and staying in a hotel even though many people are dying due to coronavirus. So with the humanoid robot, we intended to make patients cheer up and say 'Hey, how do you do?', because they are basically not allowed to meet anybody directly. So that's one of the things a humanoid robot can help with communication and human needs," Kiyota Kan from Softbank Robotics said.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has also introduced an app to manage the health condition of patients at the hotel. It allows patients to record their body temperature and other data about their physical condition, making the information more efficient than what the staff member receives by making a phone call to each patient twice a day.
The APA Ryogoku hotel can accommodate about 300 people. Two nurses are available around the clock, while a doctor is also present during a day.
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike visited this hotel and had a fun interaction with the robot.
Currently, there are five locations in Tokyo that make up for 2,800 rooms accepting coronavirus patients.
Japan has found innovative ways to fight the virus. And with the support of robots and hotels, patients feel more relaxed. Moreover, technology is also helping them prevent the spread of infection.
( With inputs from ANI )