iRobot Announces New Healthcare Robotics Unit, Imaginations Run Wild
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Friday, 30 of October , 2009 at 12:41 am
iRobot may have a virtual monopoly on the robot vacuum cleaner market, but unfortunately, there’s not a whole heck of a lot of money there yet. They’ve got their military robots, of course, but it looks like they’re looking to expand their civilian market. No, it’s not a lawn mower division, but rather a healthcare robotics unit, or more specifically, an elder care robotics unit. iRobot is taking a bit of a cue from Asia here, since Korea and Japan have been working (feverishly) on elder care robotics for some time now… Of course, people in Asia (of all generations) generally seem a lot more comfortable with robots and more willing to accept them into their lives, while iRobot as a bit of an uphill struggle with that sort of thing around here.
So what might we expect to see in the way of products from this new division? Here’s my guess: a small mobile platform that integrates the telepresence features of the ConnectR with some kind of simple artificial intelligence that could locate and recognize people, deliver reminders and information based on natural language voice queries, and summon help in an emergency. It would be connected to the internet and could integrate with, say, a doctor’s office or a pharmacy to provide prescription schedules and monitor drug interactions.
Interesting, the only clue that we’ve got so far is not something I would have expected: “an inexpensive, balloon-shaped device that uses a small vacuum pump will let robots gently grab and then lift up various items for older home dwellers. Using a handheld version, Angle demonstrated the device’s ability to mold, blob-like, around odd-shaped objects and then hold them firmly when he used a mini-pump to apply the vacuum.” A grabber and lifter? That implies a fairly complex stereo vision system with object recognition, and probably a significantly more expensive robot. But as Angle points out, institutional care for the elderly costs an average of $10k per month, so a robot that helps people live in their homes longer will have to work hard to outprice its potential market… Especially if it gets insurance subsidies. Hey, can someone who’s read the new health care bill let me know if there’s a robot option in there somewhere?
Incidentally, iRobot already developed a prototype elder care robot, named Cici, which was reportedly on display at a medical devices conference in Boston in December of 2007. Although there were no pictures and iRobot refused to comment, we do know that Cici “stood about the size of a desktop computer and was the shape of a human upper body without arms. The robot has audio features that can be used to check on elderly patients at home and would be linked to a network to alert clinicians elsewhere of a medical problem.”
Press release, after the jump.
BEDFORD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–iRobot Corp. (Nasdaq: IRBT – News) today announced that Colin Angle, iRobot’s chairman and chief executive officer, will discuss the role of robots in the future of healthcare during a presentation at the TEDMED conference in San Diego, Calif.
At the event, Angle will also introduce Tod Loofbourrow, president of iRobot’s newly-created healthcare business unit. The new business unit is committed to exploring the potential of robotics as an assistive technology to promote wellness and enhance quality of life for seniors. In this role, Loofbourrow will be responsible for all aspects of the group’s strategy, research and operations. He will report directly to Angle.
“Hiring Tod to lead our new healthcare business unit underscores the significance of this market opportunity, as well as the commitment the company is making in this space,” said Angle. “Our healthcare mission is to add a million years of independent living to our customers. As the leader in practical robots, we believe that we will have something unique and significant to offer in the field of healthcare.”
iRobot believes that next-generation practical robots have the potential to help caregivers perform critical work and extend the time that people can live independently. Robots may be capable of assisting in senior care in a variety of real-life situations, including household chores and the on-time administration of medication. This could ultimately lower the cost for care.
Loofbourrow joins iRobot with more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in the high-technology sector. Most recently, he served as chairman, chief executive officer and founder of Authoria, Inc., a leader in the benefits and talent management market. “I joined iRobot because I believe that the business has the potential to make a significant difference in the field of healthcare,” said Loofbourrow. “People want to stay in their homes and live independently for as long as they can. This is a company with millions of robots currently assisting people in their homes. With $2.2 trillion spent every year on healthcare in the United States, I believe that the long-term potential of robotics to extend independent living is profound.”
Prior to Authoria, Loofbourrow was chief executive officer and founder of Foundation Technologies, Inc., which developed the first-ever “Managed Second Surgical Opinion” system for managed care. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a graduate certificate from Oxford University. He has taught business courses at Harvard University and lectured at Stanford, MIT Sloan School of Management, Harvard Business School, Yale and Babson College.
VIA [ RSN ]
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