College students design Traditional Chinese Medicine robot

Those who dream of having a real "Baymax" may soon see their dream come true. A group of college students have invented an intelligent robot programmed to serve as a personal Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) physician for the elderly.

Photo of "Baymax," a super hero and a personal healthcare companion appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. [Photo: China Plus]

Programmed with traditional Chinese health techniques, the robot is designed to provide more accurate and sophisticated healthcare management for the increasing number of elderly people in China, said Lu Yi, leader of a 7-person student team which developed the robot at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM).

Lu Yi(L), leader of the 7-person student team from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM) which built the TCM robot in Shanghai, May 9, 2017. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

Apart from being able to perform simple diagnostic techniques, the robot is also capable of measuring personal health data, such as blood pressure, blood sugar and oxygen saturation.

It is also designed to provide a personalized health report to users, as well as provide health advice.

Prototype of the personal traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) healthcare robot designed by students from the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM). [Photo: thepaper.cn]

The TCM expert "Baymax" is due to be made available for users in two versions, applicable to family needs and community hospitals, at the price of 1,000 yuan (145 USD) and 3,000 yuan (435 USD) each, according to Lu Yi.