'Spot' Robot Measures Patients' Vital Signs — Contact-Free

During the current coronavirus pandemic, one of the riskiest parts of a health care worker’s job is assessing people who have symptoms of Covid-19. Researchers at MIT hope to reduce that risk by using robots to remotely measure patients’ vital signs. The robots are controlled by a handheld device and can also carry a tablet that allows doctors to ask patients about their symptoms without being in the same room. Using four cameras mounted on the dog-like "Spot" robot developed by Boston Dynamics, the researchers have shown that they can measure skin temperature, breathing rate, pulse rate, and blood oxygen saturation in healthy patients, from a distance of 2 meters.The four cameras include an infrared camera plus three monochrome cameras that filter different wavelengths of light. The researchers are now making plans to test it in patients with Covid-19 symptoms.