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After the pandemic, doctors want their new robot helpers to stay

James Vincent

July 09, 2020 |

The Verge |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Covid-19 has accelerated technological innovations and robots are being used to minimize the virus’ transmission. Mobile disinfectant units using UV light to break apart the virus’ genetic material are in use at some hospitals, airports, hotels, and food banks. They clean surfaces faster and with less risk than humans. Robots are also doing initial patient in-takes at hospitals to minimize transmission and identify critical cases, and telepresence bots, essentially i-pads on wheels, allow patients to explore outside their quarantined spaces. Users do have to contend with occasional technological glitches.

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There's No Cure for Covid-19 Loneliness, but Robots Can Help

Kate Knibbs

June 22, 2020 |

Wired |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Japan

Robot pet therapy, which uses a social robot designed to look like a small animal, weigh the same as an infant, and communicate in a socially comforting way, is helping isolated seniors find a sense of companionship during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although some have raised ethical concerns about "the role of robots in caretaking," others point to evidence indicating success such as "reduced reliance on psychotropic drugs, improved blood pressure and oxygenation levels, and stirred the emotions of patients who otherwise often appeared disconnected."

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Can You Recycle That? An AI Bot Can Let You Know

Victoria Swyers

March 31, 2020 |

Grady Newsource |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Can I Recycle This operates via social media profiles where, on Amazon Alexa and Facebook, the AI bot “Green Girl” tells people what materials can or cannot be recycled, helping avoid contamination of legitimate recyclables. The bot responds to descriptions and pictures with recommendations based on the user’s location. The company also takes questions on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, but answers come from staff and interns, not "Green Girl". Being only on social media limits accessibility, particularly for older generations, and the startup has only developed information for 10 cities in its databases.

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How robots helped protect doctors from coronavirus

Lilly Smith

March 26, 2020 |

FastCompany |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: China, Hubei Province

To keep the doctor-patient contact at a minimum during the coronavirus pandemic, hospitals in China and Thailand are using human-like robots to perform basic medical tasks. The use of robots doesn't just help to keep doctors safer, it also helps to relieve them of their overburdened workload.

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Amazon, Startups See Surge in Demand for Automation Tech Amid Pandemic

Kevin McLaughlin

March 25, 2020 |

The Information |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

As companies look to stay economically viable and responsive to customers during the coronavirus pandemic, many are beginning to turn to automation as a way to fill jobs that would have humans working too closely together. From Amazon's cloud-based call center service to autonomous robots that can cook, the coronavirus crisis has created a pathway for technological advancements to be put to use.

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Drone on the range: Farmers take to the skies to save water and money

Miles Wilson

December 31, 2019 |

Cronkite News - Arizona PBS |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Maricopa, Arizona

In Arizona, the use of drones as farming technology is gaining traction. While still in the early stages, drones have shown to help with field mapping and data collection on things like crop conditions, water quality, and infestations. In an area that has been experiencing a 2-decade drought, these drones are able to help identify more precisely the water needed for soil.

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Airbus is making planes lighter with technology we barely understand

Mark Wilson

November 20, 2019 |

FastCompany |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Germany, Hamburg

An engineering company called Autodesk uses the concept of "generative deisgn" - design facilitated by Artificial Intelligence to create structural renderings unimagined by the human brain - to create lighter and more durable airplanes. Generative design uses the calculations of artificial intelligence software to create thousands of ergonomic designs, based on an input of desired force and shape of the plane part - or other architectural puzzles pieces.

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India has a big trash problem. TrashBot is trying to help.

Rishika Pardikar

May 09, 2019 |

The Christian Science Monitor |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Bengaluru

Separating mixed waste efficiently with technology can help where waste segregation policies are lacking. In Bangalore, India, a machine called Trashbot sorts mixed waste into biodegradable and non-biodegradable components. Properly recycled waste can then be sold, avoiding landfills.

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Virtual reality and SA's quest for happier nurses

Nelisiwe Msomi

April 23, 2019 |

Bhekisisa |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: South Africa

In South Africa, public health nurses have a tendency to act more like a parent than a nurse when teenage girls visit the clinic to be tested for HIV, ask for birth control or get antiretroviral treatment. To change this reputation and behavior, Makhulu Media and the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation collaborated to make a virtual reality film that shows the nurses how their behavior is often interpreted by the patient.

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Florida strawberry farmers using robots to pick fruit, control mildew

Paul Brinkmann

April 18, 2019 |

UPI |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Orlando, Florida

Robots are the newest way to improve efficiency of agriculture in the context of an aging immigrant population of fruit pickers, specifically in the strawberry industry. Harvest CROO is the company behind the robot Berry, and it has received millions of dollars to develop this technology. Research shows advancements in agricultural technology may be the only way to feed a growing worldwide population.

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