Toyota Shifts Gears to... Medical Robots?

Although Toyota is best know for its vehicles, it also has a diverse array of robots. It recently announced some new additions to its clan of caring robots that could function in a medical setting.

These robots are as the news account from Nikkei states a set of "nursing robots." Nikkei reports that these robots were developed in collaboration with Fujita Health University.

According to Toyota's website, these "personal assist robots" have human characteristics:

They are agile, warm, kind and also intelligent enough to think for themselves, and further skillfully operate a variety of devices in the areas of personal assistance care for the elderly, manufacturing, and mobility.

In the future, we hope the Personal Assist Robot can become trusted partners through assisting in nursing and medical care at hospitals, looking after patients and seniors at care centers, and supporting domestic duties.

Robina: Toyota sees Robina, developed in 2007, as a personal assistant robot that can help nurses care for patients.

Watch Robina move like the Jetson's Rosie here:

Humanoid: Humanoid can perform detailed work, like playing a violin or trumpet, but ultimately, Toyota hopes it could be useful in housework or medical tasks.

Walk Assist Robot: Although not humanoid in form like Robina or Humanoid, Walk Assist could someday  be used to help those with a non-functioning leg to walk with stability.

Care Assist Robot: With more than 70 percent of caregivers reporting bake pain from having to exert themselves on the job, like when transferring a patient to a bed, Care Assist was developed to ease that burden. It can also help the patient get to the toilet or other mobile activities.

Toyota reportedly seeks to have these items available for commercial use, at least in Japan, by 2013.

[H/T Slashgear]