Robot Assistant From: NASA Tech Briefs Insider - 04/30/2008 A robotic assistant under development at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst can dial 911 in case of emergencies, remind clients to take their medication, help with grocery shopping, and allow a client to talk to loved ones and health care providers. The robot, called the uBOT-5, could allow elders to live independently, and provide relief for caregivers, the medical system and community services, which are expected to be severely taxed as 77 million Americans retire in the next 30 years. uBot-5's design was inspired by human anatomy. An array of sensors acts as the robot's eyes and ears, allowing it to recognize human activities, such as walking or sitting. It can also recognize an abnormal visual event, such as a fall, and notify a remote medical caregiver. Through an interface, the remote service provider may ask the client to speak, smile or raise both arms, movements that the robot can demonstrate. If the person is unresponsive, the robot can call 911, alert family, and apply a digital stethoscope to a patient, conveying information to an emergency medical technician en route. The robot's sensor array is also trained to notice when a path is blocked, and can move the obstruction out of the way. It can also raise its outstretched arms, carry a load of about 2.2 pounds and can perform household tasks requiring a fair amount of dexterity, including cleaning and grocery shopping. Photo caption: The uBOT-5 robot is designed to help the elderly perform everyday tasks. Links: Robots That Can Assist With Elder Care Created By UMass Amherst Researchers http://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/newsreleases/articles/74079.php uBot http://www-robotics.cs.umass.edu/Robots/UBot uBot-5 http://www-robotics.cs.umass.edu/Robots/UBot-5 Robot Nurses - uBOT-5 http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/robot-nurses-ubot-5/ Robot Dials 9-1-1 http://www.livescience.com/technology/080416-robot-calls-help.html Researchers create life-saving uBOT-5 robot, play dress-up with it http:a//www.engadget.com/2008/04/17/researchers-create-life-saving-ubot-5-robot-play-dress-up-with Will robots step up to help care for the aging baby boomer generation? http://www.gizmag.com/ubot5-care-robot/9188/ Robots for old boomers http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/general/view.bg?articleid=1089897 uBot-5 using Microsoft Robotics Studio: Elevator Demo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaz0mp23vwQ uBot-5 - Laboratory for Perceptual Robotics http://vishots.com/2008/01/12/ubot-5-laboratory-for-perceptual-robotics/ Ubot 5 & Robotics Studio http://blogs.msdn.com/obloch/archive/2007/09/19/ubot-5-robotics-studio.aspx uBot-5 Videos http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-us&soapboxSearchTerm=ubot-5