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Japanese Download Medical App In Record Numbers

With the tragic events that have recently unfolded in Japan, there is a large segment of the population who require medical attention, certainly in excess of what Japan’s health care system is used to supplying.

Many of them have turned to the medical app, “Medical Encyclopedia for Home Use” — an application that offers basic first aid advice for treating medical injuries.  The developers of the app have made it free of charge due to the recent catastrophic events.

The application is currently the number one downloaded free app in the Japan iTunes store, reflecting the tremendous need for continued healthcare treatment in the aftermath of the earthquake and subsequent events.

The iPhone has done extremely well in Japan, with millions of Japanese users.  In the future, as smart phones become more ubiquitous, it will be interesting to see if governments release apps specifically for situations like the current one.

Official government sanctioned apps that help look for lost loved ones, or provide resources for those affected by these types of events could provide significant utility.  App Stores allow for quick and streamlined distributions for these types of apps, allowing them to get to millions of users at once.

Donations to the Red Cross

iTunes Link to Medical Encyclopedia for Home use app

*This blog post was originally published at iMedicalApps*

Robotic Nurse Assistant Can Carry Patients Around Hospitals

riba_2.jpg

The Japanese are gearing up for a time when there are more elderly folks needing assistance than there are young whippersnappers available to do the chores. The RIBA, or Robot for Interactive Body Assistance, is a 400 pound (180 kilos) device designed by engineers at the RIKEN institute and Tokai Rubber Industries to carry people up to 135 pounds (61 kilos) between hospital beds, wheelchairs, and even toilets. The device is full of tactile sensors to make carrying safe and comfortable for patients, and it can even recognize faces and be commanded via voice to perform basic tasks. The only problems, from our point of view, is the inadequacy of this robot of serving the hefty average American and the menacing demeanor of what looks like a space bear without the personality of Chewbacca.

Here’s a demo video of the RIBA…

Link: Google translation of Japanese info page about the RIBA

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*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*

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