Washington Post (7/8, Denyer, Kashiwagi, Kim) reports the COVID-19 pandemic “has inspired new thinking about how robots and other machines might step in” to help humans mind social distancing recommendations.
Japanese company Avatarin’s “newme” robot, which consists of a tablet on a stand with wheels, is already being “used by doctors to interact with patients in a Japanese coronavirus ward; by university students in Tokyo to ‘attend’ a graduation ceremony; and by fans of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team to remotely interview their favorite players after games held in empty stadiums.” But, Avatarin COO Kevin Kajitani is using the robot to allow his parents, who live in Seattle, to interact with their grandson..