Yatharth deploys Mitra the Robot to Help COVID Patients Speak to Loved Ones
Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital, Noida Extension has deployed a customer-service robot patrolling its wards, connecting coronavirus patients with friends and family.
According to the hospital's director, Yatharth Tyagi, "the robot named Mitra (meaning "friend" in Hindi) was developed by Bengaluru-based start-up Invento Robotics and cost the hospital one million rupees ($13,600)." It is best known for interacting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a 2017 event. Its piercing eyes are outfitted with facial recognition technology, allowing it to recall people it has previously interacted with. A tablet attached to Mitra's chest allows patients and medical staff who cannot access the wards to see their loved ones. Mitra is mainly used by patients who are not able to communicate using their phones.
According to Dr. Arun Lakhanpal, a doctor at the Yatharth Super Speciality Hospital, "it takes a long time to recover, and patients are unable to visit during this time when they need their families the most."
Mitra is also used for remote consultations with specialists to reduce the risk of infection, he added.