Baby robot - CB2

I must admit that when I first saw pictures of the latest child like robot, CB2 I was quite put off by it.

Little confession here, I am a mad keen Terminator fan. I have always loved the premise of these movies, that one day we advance technology so far that they eventually turn on us. Yes folks, I am a complete and utter nerd, and quite proud of it ;)

Ever since I watched the Terminator movies and TV series, I have been a little wary of robots. But I told myself that as long as they remain robot like with awkward movement and snail paced actions, we could probably outrun them should they attempt a revolt.

So seeing the CB2 robot was a little disconcerting because he does look human and to top it off, he reads our facial expressions and learns from them. Pretty amazing and scary at the same time.

But looking past my possibly irrational fear of robots, it got me thinking about the potential of such technology in the health industry.

Not so much as a substitute for health professionals but more in the area of rehabilitation and education.

I could see fantastic potential as an aid in children's hospitals helping kids prepare for procedures, especially given it's ability to read human emotions. The application in this area could be quite significant.

Clearly the technology has a long way to go but I wonder where and when we will see advanced robots used by the health industry in ways we never thought possible.