The R1T1, the first telepresence robot developed in Brazil, was on the spotlight in the session on mobility, on the second day of the III RNP Forum. Developed by a national startup, DMS Company, the robot is being tested since early 2014 in the Regional University Hospital of Maringá (Hospital Universitário Regional de Maringá - HUM).

According to the HUM Telemedicine and Telehealth Center Coordinator Paulo Roberto Donadio, the telepresence robot started to be used in appointments, in interactions with patients from pediatric or outpatient appointments, in visits, or discussions of the cases in the different wards and in the approach between patients and families with a history of prolonged hospitalization. 

For Donadio, besides establishing distance contact, the robot is famous among the kids for its playful aspect. “Therefore, it is being used in therapy, primarily by Doctors of Joy, who interact with patients through the robot,” he commented. 

The Project Robot Coordinator, of the DMS Company, and developer of R1T1, Antonio Henrique Dianin explained that the robot can remotely connect to any device and is equipped with sensors that help to form a three-dimensional image and identify nearby objects. “The robot was designed to have the physical sensation of a person, with the same height, width and way of getting around. All this culminates in a more spontaneous technology,” he said.   

The State University of Maringá (UEM) researchers attended the session remotely via the robot, including the HUM Clinical Research Center Coordinator Sandra Bin. For her, the experience at the hospital has exceeded the expectations. “The interaction with patients and the future activities perspective are great. In the case of long-staying patients in the hospital, the robot has facilitated the external contact with the family.”

DMS Company announced that it intends to launch 100 telepresence robots in the market, not only to meet the hospital sector, but also other segments. “Today the robot is not simply a telepresence unit. Its platform is flexible and it supports numerous forms of software. We are studying its integration with other equipment, such as ultrasound,” revealed Antônio Henrique Dianim.