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Pharm-Bot Goes On Rampage
budgenator writes "Seems that Waldo, a robot that delivers medication from the pharmacy to the nurses stations, went on an extracurricular journey at San Francisco's UCSF Medical Center last Tuesday. Waldo entered uninvited into a radiation oncology examination room disturbing a Doctor and Patient enough that it caused them to flee the room. Is navigating a hospital full of moving humans more difficult than navigating the DARPA grand challenge, or could it be that like his sibling robort Elvis, he just wanted to leave the building?"
... He was looking for Sara Conner.
I'm sorry, I can't do that Dave.
Sig
This is the funniest thing I've read all day:
The 'bot's clearly gone bad, and is probably even as we speak cruising the city's Tenderloin district pushing purloined prescription pain killers, paying off dirty cops and menacing lost tourists.
That part about a robotic pusher menacing San Fran doesn't actually appear in the original SFC article. But I did laugh out loud (waking up my Wife).
I copy the original article for those who can't click through:
Where's Waldo?: Waldo the pill-dispensing robot apparently went berserk this past week at UCSF Medical Center, sending a doctor and patient running for cover.
Whacked-out Waldo is one of three battery-operated, rolling robots that dispense pills at the hospital. The other two are named Elvis and Lisa Marie.
All three are about the size of a large TV and are programmed to roam from floor to floor, distributing medications to nursing stations.
At the end of their rounds, the robots are supposed to roll into the basement pharmacy for refills.
But Tuesday, Waldo shot past the pharmacy and barged uninvited into the examination room in the radiation oncology department, where -- according to an anonymous caller -- a doctor was examining a cancer patient.
According to the caller, Waldo wouldn't leave, and the startled doctor and patient felt obliged to flee the room.
UCSF spokeswoman Carol Hyman said she didn't know anything about any doctor and patient having to beat feet -- but confirmed that the wandering Waldo did wind up in an examination room.
"This is the first time anything like this has happened," Hyman said. "Our technology folks are going to have to take a look."
That is, if Waldo will stand still for it.
http://www.bistolas.net
Full of drugs, and wants to "hang out" who am I to complain....
At least I wont have to share the goodstuff
Coach Z made a robot... named Elvis? Makes sense. Wow - great jorb!
Ryan Fenton
Now, where did that robort go. I need him to tell me where the human's ink sack is, I do! Whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop whoop!
In all seriousness, isn't rampage a bit strong of a word to use?
You're right. The correct term is berserk.
Johnny Five....Alive....
With the word "Rampage" I was reminded of that fabulous 80s video game where giant apes, rats and dragons climb buildings and punch them to pieces. I was hoping that a robot grew gigantic in size due to a passing meteor and starting punching a hospital to pieces. How come nothing exciting like that ever happens on Earth anymore? I'm starting to think about leaving this planet and going back home again.
-"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
It's no wonder they had so much trouble finding him.
That the attached article links to the sfgate site where this article is on the page and it features this man. A coincidence. Maybe.
Or maybe it is your destiny.
You can't handle the truth.
-place your best 'suppositories' joke here-
Stop invalid scientific research. Ask your local scientists to feed their lab rats with a phytoestrogen-free chow.
About 20 years ago I watched as my company's automotive-lower-bodyside protection (vinyl) spraying robot finished its job of applying to an automobile on the assembly line for the first time, and turned back to its "home" position without turning off the vinyl spray. It in the process turned a watching GM executive's very expensive suit into an instant raincoat.
Luckily GM had retained the job of building the spray controller to themselves, and it was their malfunction. The executive was heard to complain as he left that he wasn't even supposed to have been there.
Engineers didn't realize there was a problem with the unit until the words "Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?" appeared all over their screens.
"Derp de derp."
"Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
--Dr.W.Edwards Deming
A. Make an unplanned excusrion
B. Develop a sense of self awareness and express itself
C. Suffer a minor mechanical or software problem?
D. Reprogram the retrieval robots to act like the three stooges.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
More like:I IIICAAAAATE!!!
Medicate!
Medicate!
Medicate!
MEEEEEEDI
(or at least "Crap, wrong Doctor, run away, run awayyyyy!")
Just because you can mod me down, doesn't mean you're right. Shoes for industry!
Waldo entered uninvited into a radiation oncology examination room disturbing a Doctor and Patient enough that it caused them to flee the room.
How many times do I have to apologize! I thought it was the gift shop!
W
-------------------
This is my SIG. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
MED-II-CATE!!
When it comes to that point, all manual labor will be donen by machines. We won't even have pitchforks to defend ourselves. Maybe that's why all these tech execs play golf?
Open Source Java DAO Generator
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Notice the "®" at the end of the article. They registered a trademark on the story? WTF!
Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of them!
It didn't by any chance get struck by lightning, did it?
Technoli