Lack of medical staff, Germany uses robots to take care of the elderly
The white humanoid “Garmi” doesn’t look much different from a regular robot—it stands on a wheeled pedestal and is equipped with a black screen, on which are attached two blue circles that act as eye.
But retired German doctor Guenter Steinebach, 78, says: “For me, this robot It’s a dream.”
Garmi can not only perform diagnostics for patients, but also provide care and treatment for them. Or at least, that’s the plan.
Garmi is the product of a new field called gerontology, a discipline that harnesses cutting-edge technologies such as robotics, IT and 3D technologies for gerontology, gerontology and nursing.
About a dozen scientists built Garmi with the help of medical practitioners like Steinebach at the Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence Munich.
Part of the Technical University of Munich, the institute has a specialized facility in electronic gerontology in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a ski resort that has one of the highest rates of elderly people in Germany.
The most populous country in Europe itself is also one of the fastest aging societies in the world.
With the number of people in need of care rapidly increasing and an estimated 670,000 caregiver positions left unfilled in Germany by 2050, researchers are racing to create robots that can take care of them. Some of the tasks performed by nurses, paramedics, and doctors today.
“Today, we have ATMs to withdraw cash. We can imagine that one day, based on the same model, people can come to receive cash. see the doctor in a kind of technology hub,” said Abdeldjallil Naceri, 43, the lab’s principal scientist.
Doctors can then assess the robot’s diagnostic results remotely, which could be especially valuable for people living in remote communities.
In addition, the machine can provide more personalized service at home or in a care home—by serving meals, opening water bottles, calling for help in the event of a fall, or organizing Video calls with family and friends.
‘We have to go there’
In the Garmisch lab, Steinebach sits down at a table equipped with three monitors and a joystick as he gets ready to check the robot’s progress.
At the other end of the room, a researcher assigned to be a test model stood in front of Garmi, who was placing a stethoscope on his chest—an action directed by Steinebach remotely via a joystick.
Medical data immediately appears on the doctor’s screen.
“Imagine if I had done that in my old practice,” Steinebach said, moving the joystick.
Besides the retired doctor, other medical doctors also regularly visit the lab to give opinions and feedback on the robot.
“He’s like a three-year-old. We have to teach him everything,” Naceri said.
It’s anyone’s guess when Garmi might be ready on a commercial scale.
But Naceri firmly believes that “we have to get there, the statistics are clear that it is urgent”.
“From 2030, we must be able to integrate this type of technology in our society.”
Question about trust
And if it is indeed rolled out one day, a resident of the Sankt Vinzenz retirement home in Garmisch, a partner on the project, is likely to see Garmi darting through the corridors.
Just thinking about it makes Mrs. Rohrer, a 74-year-old resident of the house, smile.
“There are things that robots can do, like serving drinks or bringing food,” she said as Eva Pioskowik, the house’s director, did her nails.
Pioskowik, who has to battle staffing shortages on a daily basis, said she doesn’t expect robots to replace medical workers.
“But it could allow our staff to spend more time with residents,” she said.
For Naceri’s team, one of the big challenges is not technological, medical or financial.
Instead, it remains to be seen whether most patients will accept the robot.
“They need to trust robots,” he said. “They need to be able to use it like we use smartphones today.”
© 2023 AFP
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