How does Alter-Ego bridge the gap for remote medical professionals?

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Alter-Ego bridges the gap by acting as a telepresence robot that can speak to patients, collect their needs and pain levels, and pass that information to ward staff in real time.

Alter-Ego is a 1.2m-tall robot with expressive eyebrows that can stand in for a doctor working remotely in a Milan hospital trial. It asks patients simple questions such as whether they need anything, can bring a bottle of water or guide them to treatment, and sends the data it collects instantly to the ward’s nurses.
It gives remote staff a physical presence at the bedside

The robot is designed to represent a doctor who is not physically in the ward. In practice, that means a remote operator currently controls it while it interacts with patients at the Maugeri Hospital in Milan. From July, it is set to work autonomously.
It collects patient information through direct interaction

A 31-year-old patient, Daniel Senna, transmits his pain level on a screen attached to the robot’s chest. The robot then relays that information immediately to nurses on the ward, creating a fast link between the patient and the care team.
It handles basic support tasks in the ward

Alter-Ego can bring a patient a bottle of water and guide patients to treatment. It has been tested since April in a department treating people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a neurodegenerative disease.
It is being used to define what a hospital robot should do

The project is a collaboration between the Italian Institute of Technology and the University of Pisa. Its aim is to work with patients and caregivers to better understand the limits of what a robot can or should do in a hospital ward, with a longer-term possibility of helping patients and caregivers at home.

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How does Alter-Ego bridge the gap for remote medical professionals?

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