HCARD, a robotic device, will help frontline healthcare workers in maintaining physical distancing from those infected with the coronavirus. The Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device is developed by a Durgapur-based CSIR lab, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute. The device is equipped with various state-of-the-art technologies and works both in automatic as well as manual bodies of navigation.
This robot can be controlled and monitored by a nursing booth with a control station having features as navigation, drawer activation for providing medicines and food to patients, sample collection and audio-visual communication. The cost of HCARD is less than Rs 5 lakh and the weight is less than 80 kilograms.
Prof (Dr) Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-CMERI said, “This Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device could be effective for frontline healthcare officials dealing with COVID-19 patients in delivering services while maintaining mandatory physical distancing”.
