Robot 'Child' Helps Train Dentists

A life-like robot 'child' given the name of Pedia_Roid simulates the jittery movements that children often make in the dentist chair, helping to train paediatric dentists. It stands at just 5ft 1in and automatically reacts to anything that might cause a real human pain.

Co-developed by a Japanese robotics startup, Tmsuk, and Showa University Dental Hospital's Department of Orthodontics, the robot is designed to address the lack of clinical training for paediatric dentists and doctors. 

From mild tantrums to critical medical symptoms, it is said to be capable of mimicking anything. And that includes secreting saliva and vomiting at random. Even signs of a medical emergency, including convulsions and heart failure, can also be displayed. 

Yusuke Ishii, the engineering division director of Tmsuk, said: "Medical workers really need to experience medical emergencies. It is important they experience a situation where something goes wrong and that's what it can simulate”. 

Instructors to use a separate touch panel to control bodily functions, such as sneezing, coughing and throwing up. The user can send signals to air cylinders in the robot's joists to cause movement across its entire body, including the mouth and tongue.

 

It’s really cool tech! But I think the humanoid robot needs more kicking power and loud screams to simulate a real child!