Pregnant robots give birth!

The future is now -- sort of. We were just waiting for robots to start reproducing before we gave over the future of humanity to these beings, and while this might be a mere simulated pregnancy for med students to practice on, it seems close enough to us. The robot, named Noelle, is a life-sized blond mannequin that costs $20,000 and simulates the pertinent vital signs and exports of a pregnant woman, including blood, urine and a baby. Even the baby simulates vital signs, and can change colors from pink to blue to signify oxygen deficiency. A human controller can initiate different complications, or just sit back as the robot runs through its program of baby ejection. The bot is starting to be used med schools and maternity wards across the country, and simpler versions have even seen action in Afghanistan for training.

[Geqxon @ Apr 16th 2006 11:43AM]

Wow, where can one get this RealDoll Extreme?

I'd so love to have one in my bedroom!

[spezz @ Apr 16th 2006 11:57AM]

If you want the gruesome details of synthoid birth, I dug up the manual and posted a little rundown of the whole magical process.

http://www.scarytoyclown.com/?p=44

[Paul @ Apr 16th 2006 12:52PM]

Cool stuff. Doubt it will replace acutal hospital experience, but I don't think that's the point. I hope I get to play with one of these at some point.

[Udayan Tripathi @ Apr 16th 2006 1:25PM]

I find that the more these become "life-like" it gets more and more freaky. That girl robot from Samsung (I think) a while back was just too weird.

[Sandy @ Apr 16th 2006 1:32PM]

While we're all appreciative of OBs' specialized expertise when truly needed, these medical students would also be best served by shadowing midwives who are experts in working with well-women who give birth normally. The art of 'doing nothing' and giving women a quiet, undisturbed place to birth their children is sadly missing from many hospital labor and delivery or birth center rooms.

[Mikee @ Apr 16th 2006 2:43PM]

3/10 women who give birth naturally end up dying in the process...art eh?

[Ben @ Apr 16th 2006 3:19PM]

I actually trained with one of these at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for my Combat Medical school. (Army Combat Medics are trained first as EMT-Basics, then they are trained to be medics). We called them "Sim-Mans"...they're hooked up to a laptop that simulates Blood Pressure, Pulse, Breathing Issues, they can bleed, they can "speak" how they feel, it's very cool stuff.

[srw @ Apr 16th 2006 3:49PM]

Well why not, folks have been "simulating" conception with big plastic dolls for years now..

[Naruto @ Apr 16th 2006 3:56PM]

This is pretty cool and freaky at the same time. The cool part is that it costs just $20k. That may seem like alot, but when you think of all it can do, it seems like a very affordable tool.
http://www.geocities.com/bobthesnoman/

[Brian Tunks @ Apr 16th 2006 7:02PM]

I think this is yet another fantastic addition to the expanding world of occupational simulators. We allready have flight sims to teach pilots, and now we have a birth sim for doctors. Who knows what could come next! Banker sims, soldier sims (they're working on one right now, actually) and others. It's amazing.

[jygsaw @ Apr 16th 2006 9:13PM]

I, for one, welcome robotic birth pangs.

[Tyrael @ Apr 17th 2006 1:32AM]

That one looks like a red-head to me.

[Tony Rayo @ Apr 17th 2006 2:04AM]

My laptop just started to feel sympathy pains =p. This is really useful technology though and I'd like to see more of it. I remember watching something on TV at least 4 or 5 years ago (someone could dig up the link I'm sure) that showed a robot that could likewise be controlled by an operator behind the scenes, but was instead a full-size man and it could simulate a variety of issues from something simple like a fever (the temp would really change) to cardiac arrest (which could be cured more or less the same way it would be on a real person). The more experience med students can have with simulators, and very realistic ones at that, compared to cadavers or even worse, living people, the better IMO (although all three cases have their importance).

[Ryan Smalley @ Apr 17th 2006 2:28AM]

I wonder... Can you perform a cesarian section on those things?

[lucithecat123 @ Jan 6th 2007 9:34AM]

another example of empty bags making a lot of noise; find some way to contribute value not wind