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Pharm-Bot Goes On Rampage

Posted by Zonk on from the watch-the-flailing-limbs dept.

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?"

6 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. It's quite simple... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... He was looking for Sara Conner.

  2. Hal9000? by Chrispy1000000+the+2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sorry, I can't do that Dave.

    --
    Sig
  3. If a robt shows up at my door by jaltoids · · Score: 5, Funny

    Full of drugs, and wants to "hang out" who am I to complain....

    At least I wont have to share the goodstuff

  4. These things are SMART by kaosrain · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My grandmother was hospitalized for brain surgery a year ago, and I spent long days in the hospital. They also had a Waldo, and let me tell you, they were advanced. They would navigate around people, use the elevators (push the buttons, shuffle around in the elevator when it got more/less crowded, wouldn't get into the elevator if it was too full.) It annoyed some of the nurses because it would ask them to do something, and if they were busy so they decided to ignore it, Waldo would remind them every minute or so. I wish everyone at the hospital was as courteous as Waldo ;)

  5. You've got the priorities wrong by Beek · · Score: 5, Funny
    1. A robot must check the level of insurance coverage of patient
    2. A robot must not allow a human to come to harm from it's action or inaction, unless that action is not permitted by rule 1.
    3. A robot must follow orders given by a human, unless that order contradicts rule 2.
  6. What actually happened by Dorm41Baggins · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Instead, the crazed automaton [...] careened past the drug depository before barging into a room in the hospital's radiation oncology department where an examination was in progress.

    The psychotic pill pusher reportedly refused to leave, sending both doctor and patient fleeing for their lives.

    In other words, the robot pushed its way into the room, realized it was lost and stopped moving. The doctor then left to go call a tech to get the thing out of the exam room. The patient, not particularly interested in waiting around in a small room with a large, seemingly unpredictable piece of machinery, decided to wait out in the hall for him to come back.

    That's my guess, anyway.