Robots to invade Scottish hospital, pose as 'workers'

A new £300 million ($445 million) hospital is set to open up soon in Stirlingshire, Scotland. Why would you care about that? Maybe because laser-guided robots will play a fundamental role in the facility's daily running, including the disposal of waste, delivery of meals, cleaning of operating theaters, and (gulp!) drug dispensation. We're told they'll have their own underground lair corridors and dedicated lifts, with humanoid employees able to call them up via a PDA. It's believed that using robots to perform the dirty work will be more sanitary than current methods, but we have to question the sanity of anyone who believes this isn't the first step toward the robot rebellion. Well, it's been nice knowing you guys.

[Marko Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:37AM]

I am glad I am not a nurse to soon become unemployed (:

[patches66 Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:54AM]

@Marko
Nurses have plenty to do even with robot help, don't you worry. There is also a major shortage.

[fowenati Posted Jun 21st 2010 5:24AM]

SKYNET DRONES

[Sean Posted Jun 21st 2010 5:35AM]

@Marko Aye did someone say there was a moose loose aboot this hoose?

[James Sonne Posted Jun 21st 2010 8:37AM]

@Marko
These robots have been around for more than a decade already. The hospital I work in has ultrasound guided robots that delivery blood samples, etc., between departments. I know most other teaching hospitals that actually make money have similar systems. It's a really great technology that saves time as hospitals become larger with more diverse specialties.

[James Sonne Posted Jun 21st 2010 8:39AM]

@James Sonne
I guess what I'm saying is, it shouldn't be a nurse's job to run a mile and a half to the other side of the medical campus just to deliver one measly blood sample, x30 per day.

[Mike10010100 Posted Jun 21st 2010 1:19PM]

@fowenati

NO FOOLISH HUMAN! WE ARE THE DAAALEKS. EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

[mikec89 Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:38AM]

Sounds kinda cool

[DizWhiz Posted Jun 21st 2010 11:25AM]

@mikec89 ZOOLANDER WILL BE EXTERMINATED!

[collindow Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:38AM]

I, for one, welcome our new robotic overlords.

[nimro Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:51AM]

@collindow

In Soviet Russia (and this hospital), our robotic overlords welcome US!

[Pickaxe Posted Jun 21st 2010 5:18AM]

@nimro
Not anywhere else, though. We're screwed.

[SolidSnake Posted Jun 21st 2010 8:19AM]

@collindow
Exterminate!

[Weber 09 Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:39AM]

I'd hack the bot to deliver 1000 mgs of morphine to room #1337.

[Sp4rky Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:40AM]

So I'm hearing a Dalek saying "eliminate" while impatiently waiting fir an old codger to do his business.

[Fatt Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:49AM]

@Sp4rky
You mean exterminate don't ya?

[patches66 Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:52AM]

@Fatt
(read it again)

[Sp4rky Posted Jun 21st 2010 5:14AM]

@Fatt I was going for the play on words as Engadget used a Dalek in their pic. See the juxtaposition of the nontraditonal "eliminate" built on the... nevermind.

@patches Thanks for the assist.

[Lord Vader Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:42AM]

I think that Dalek is searching for the wrong "Doctor"

[nimro Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:50AM]

@Lord Vader

This is not the doctor you are looking for.

[nimro Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:49AM]

Time to move south of the border I think. To England!

[Wuzawuza Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:50AM]

I work in Healthcare IT and I have to say this is interesting. Of course robotic dispensing of drugs has been around for a long time and is much more accurate and error free than any human who does the same job so thats not so interesting (or "Gulp!" inducing).

I would be shocked if all of the robots don't in fact do a superior job than their human counterparts do.

The most interesting aspect of this hospital will definitely be to see the human and staff reaction to having robots do all of that work. Anyone who has ever worked in a hospital (and specifically with doctors) knows that they can be very set in their ways and they don't always appreciate or accept changes to their workflow. Hopefully Engadget will do a short follow up when the hospital opens!

[James Sonne Posted Jun 21st 2010 8:42AM]

@Wuzawuza
Many hospitals have been using these for a decade now. The only problem with ours is that they move fairly slowly and get momentarily caught up in door-ways on occasion.

[wemustcontrolpeople Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:52AM]

I'm so tired of all this robot bigotry. I'm a robot and I'm not completely evil.

[Vlad Savov Posted Jun 21st 2010 5:14AM]

@wemustcontrolpeople You're funny. For a robot.

[tai376 Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:54AM]

will it probe me

[Julevi Posted Jun 21st 2010 4:58AM]

ahahahaha, I love this post. hilarious

[boxieblue Posted Jun 21st 2010 5:13AM]

the photoshopped image could not have been more hilarious

[Einlander Posted Jun 21st 2010 5:28AM]

EXTERMINATE

[PhoenixFox Posted Jun 21st 2010 5:32AM]

I'm struggling to place that dalek... it's post-time-war, but pre new-paradigm, and it's got the black dome of an imperial guard... But I don't recognise the manipulator replacement.

[PhoenixFox Posted Jun 21st 2010 7:09AM]

@PhoenixFox

ALSO

Daleks aren't robots.

Shame on you, Engadget!

[weareskynet Posted Jun 21st 2010 5:59AM]

People of Earth, don't fear, we are just taking over your hospitals, your heath, and then your planet.

Skynet we're winning...

[Akula Posted Jun 21st 2010 6:02AM]

It is an utter disgrace that tax payers money is being spent replacing prospective tax payers. When unemployment in the UK is rife, why not just employ people to do those jobs? Oh because you'd need to pay wages, national insurance, organise rotors. The working class still breed like rabbits, but they are no longer needed. Would the working classes rise and revolt, riot in the streets, change governments? YES! Robots? Not really. So what to do with the "surplus population" ?

Luddites of the world unite, smash the robots!

[Dragotequila Posted Jun 21st 2010 6:13AM]

The Dalek roams screaming "Exterminate!"...but he's not talking about humans. He's talking about hospital jobs

[kitzy Posted Jun 21st 2010 7:22AM]

I'm honestly surprised that no one has pointed out yet that Daleks aren't robots.

[darex Posted Jun 21st 2010 7:47AM]

"Would you care for some tea?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doeZkX-SPUs

[poddo Posted Jun 21st 2010 7:49AM]

Navigator movie, anyone?

[Gavin M Posted Jun 21st 2010 8:26AM]

Humanoid workers? I thought we were just humans.

[LegoGuy23 Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:26AM]

EXTERMINATE!!!!...EXTERMINATE!!!

[wizkidweb Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:28AM]

The Dalek reign supreme! Exterminate! Exterminate!

[Randomdude Posted Jun 21st 2010 9:38AM]

that robot is something out of Doctor Who lmao, am i right?

[dpaq887 Posted Jun 21st 2010 10:01AM]

LOL best comment board ever

[iphonefour Posted Jun 21st 2010 10:24AM]

The Cleveland Clinic has been doing this for years. A friend of mine tells me you can't hear them coming until its too late, and that he has been hit several times. Scary stuff.

[Downpour Posted Jun 21st 2010 10:37AM]

Perspective Fail

[BuzzMega Posted Jun 21st 2010 11:01AM]

Hourly charge for a $40,000 robot can exceed the wage paid to an orderly or a nurse. I'm buying two and retiring.

[HikaKao Posted Jun 21st 2010 11:58AM]

Would be awesome if that's how the robots would look like. Yet also slightly frightening.

[monkeyontherun4 Posted Jun 21st 2010 11:29PM]

@HikaKao
just slightly?? damn if that thing came into my room i would FREAK OUT

[Daniel Lanigan Posted Jun 21st 2010 12:01PM]

Yeah, it's not really a big deal, There are a bunch of hospitals with robots here in the States. like, El Camino in Mountain View:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqdE9QLjUOs

[boomshadow Posted Jun 21st 2010 12:01PM]

GIVE.US.A.CUDDLE!

[Fritz Posted Jun 21st 2010 3:17PM]

Alas poor Scotland, you will be missed...