Health Care by Robot

Taking personal health care to the next level

Many people who saw the movie Big Hero 6 immediately fell in love with Baymax. He's a big, friendly robot that takes care of people's health. Imagine a robot like Baymax as a personal health care companion in real life!

He would be especially useful in caring for the growing elderly population. The health of senior citizens needs greater monitoring and care -- as well as a softer touch.

At Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, scientists are working to make Baymax a reality. Chris Atkeson, a professor in the field of robotics, leads the research. He and his team actually inspired Disney filmmakers to create the soft, lovable robot.

Health care robots aren't quite as advanced as Baymax yet. But people can still personally manage their health at home through convenient apps.

Existing apps can check a person's heart rate and remind them to take their medicine. Some apps can monitor a person's blood pressure and perform other valuable functions. The information collected by the apps can make a diagnosis faster and more accurate. Like Baymax, these apps may end up saving lives.

Language Lab
elderly n. adj.
old or rather old : past middle age
- The restaurant is thoughtfully designed for the elderly.
- Elderly people need companionship with loved ones.
elder adj.
of greater age : older
- My elder sister, Jade lives in the States.

monitor v.
to watch, observe, listen to, or check (something) for a special purpose over a period of time
- The doctor suggested that the patient get his cholesterol monitored periodically.
- The FBI is monitoring the gang's activities.
n. a device that is used for showing, watching, or listening to something: such as a : a device that shows information or images on a screen
- The monitor in the parking lot had been tampered with.

advanced adj.
beyond the basic level
- The engineer used advanced technology to create this virtual reality device.
- The advanced English class only has 15 openings.

diagnosis n.
the act of identifying a disease, illness, or problem by examining someone or something
- The doctor's diagnosis is that the patient has diabetes.
- Early diagnosis can reduce the risk of cancer.
diagnose v.
diagnose with
- The patient was diagnosed with arthritis.