Hospitals need robots for surgery, for diagnosis, for moral raising therapy and for lifting patients from one place to another of course. At least the robot engineers think so, and thus researchers from Japan’s Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) and Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd. have developed the RIBA - “Robot for Interactive Body Assistance,” which would help lift patients up to 61kg from out of their beds and wheelchairs.

The cheery-looking machine has long, multi-jointed arms embedded with an array of tactile sensors that help it optimize the lifting and carrying of humans. Its friendly teddy bear appearance is chosen to put patients at ease. Attempting to make the robot look human would only frighten people, the producers claimed in their press release.

For safety purposes, RIBA’s entire body is covered in a soft skin molded from an advanced lightweight urethane foam developed by TRI. The soft skin is designed to ensure the comfort of patients while they are being carried. In addition, the arm joints yield slightly under pressure — much like human arms do — further increasing the level of comfort and safety.

The robotic bear can also recognize faces and voices, as well as respond to spoken commands. Using visual and audio data from its surroundings, RIBA can identify co-workers, determine the position of those nearby, and respond flexibly to changes in the immediate environment. The motors operate silently, and a set of omni-directional wheels allow the robot to navigate tight spaces inside hospitals and nursing facilities.

The big bear is an upgrade to Riken's Ri-Man robot developed in 2006 that could only lift about 18kg. Riba also moves quicker than Ri-Man, thanks to better processors. Japan has one of the world's most rapidly aging populations, a driving factor in the development of sophisticated robots. The more robots there are, the less pressure there will be on the shrinking human workforce to care for elderly citizens.

Already in 2007, a similar project appeared on the Japanese market: Romi Robot. Her body was developed by Samsung and her brain by Robot-Hosting.com. The Nursing school and the psychology departments of the University of Auckland were creating her nurse knowledge base. Besides voice and face recognition and 8 available languages Romi Robot also talks with those patients who do not have any visitor to keep their company, tell them some jokes or just carry the conversation to make them happy.