Taguig students have developed Robonurses to assist medical frontliners and reduce COVID-19 contact risk.
The student innovation Robotic nurses are now being deployed in Taguig City’s quarantine facility.
The robotic medical staff members were developed by the award-winning Taguig Robotics Team composed of students from varying grade levels and alumni of Senator Renato “Compañero” Cayetano (SRCC) Memorial Science and Technology High School.
The robots are equipped with iPads mounted as the face to help medical staff monitor and communicate with COVID-19 positive patients at all times of the day without being in close contact with them. The robot can also deliver medication and supplies to sick patients.
Taguig’s student developers told Good News Pilipinas that they devised the robot to alleviate the workload of medical frontliners working tirelessly amid the pandemic.
Pierre Alan Pioquid, a core member of the robotics team, says the development of the robot started in May 2020 for their school’s first new normal “cyber graduation” which was held during Taguig City’s community quarantine. The group’s robots were used to show the faces of students as their names were called in the virtual event.
Pioquid and the other student innovators afterward upgraded the machine from ‘cybergrad’ bots to ‘robonurses’ who could aid medical frontliners in their fight to curb the spread of the COVID-19 disease.
“As of now, the Robonurses could substitute the front-liners in bringing medicines to the patients, as well as monitoring them in certain hours of the day. This will hopefully remove some strain from our frontliners during their never-ending shifts,” Pioquid said in an interview with Good News Pilipinas.
The student group wants to add more features to the robot nurse which is currently still a prototype.
“We do have plans to make other projects, and we do actually plan on improving the Robonurse, but for now, those things will be kept in secret. Rest assured, the Taguig Robotics team will never stop innovating,” Pioquid added.
The robots will be utilized in a mega quarantine facility located in Barangay Lower Bicutan as part of the city’s efforts to protect their medical personnel.
The Taguig Robotics Team started in 2016 with brothers Pierre Alan and Aron Sean Michael Pioquid. The robonurse was conceptualized by other key members John David Golenia, Philip Leonard Diez, Madelle Diez, Roy Miguel Garrido, Anton Miguel Roldan, and Princess Anneabella Pioquid along with supporting team members. The effort was also spearheaded by the robotics team head coach Sheryl Tabernero and coordinator George P. Tizon.
The team brought pride to the Philippines when they scored gold and silver awards from two events at the 2017 FIRA RoboWorld Cup in Taiwan.
University of Santo Tomas (UST) also designed the robot “LISA” (Logistic Indoor Service Assistant) to assist health care providers by minimizing their physical and direct contact with coronavirus disease patients.
SEND CHEERS in the comments below to the Taguig Robotics Team for developing Robonurses to assist medical frontliners!
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