iRobot, makers of that adorable Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner, tiny robo-tanks [3], and other mechanical helpers, have announced their newest product: a telemedicine robot for hospitals. The 5-foot tall RP-VITA virtually connects doctors and patients in different locations through live video. The robot relays voice audio and video, swivells around to face different speakers, and, usefully, comes equipped with a stethescope, the Boston Globe explains [4]. The robot can be controlled and can take navigation cues from an app on an iPad. RP-VITA is born out of a partnership between iRobot and InTouch Health, which iRobot invested $6 million [5] in earlier this year.

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